The Arranged Marriage
by shasta53
Summary: After years of surviving in her arranged marriage, Bella hears some news that shatters all of her hopes and dreams. Can she and Edward discover what it means to be together after all? Set in the modern day. ExB
1. The Calamity

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Twilight. It sucks, but that's life. I do own this plot, though, so let's not take advantage. **

**A/N: This is quite different from my last story, but I am excited about it. As before, I plan to post once a week. Thank you to my betas, Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy, for making this a better story and to Riss usc-mam for pre-reading. You ladies are awesome!**

**Chapter One: The Calamity**

**BPOV**

_Oh dear Lord._ My head was throbbing. For some reason, Alice had decided that taking me out to celebrate my eighteenth birthday was a good idea, and today, I was nursing the hangover from hell. At the moment, I was hiding in the family room to keep the annoying voices from ringing in my ears.

Much to my dismay, the Spencers were here for a visit. Carmen and Eleazer were very close friends with Esme and Carlisle, as well as land managers for some of the Cullens' holdings. Tanya and Irina, their daughters, were Esme and Carlisle's godchildren, so it was like old home week every time they showed up. Tanya and Rosalie had grown up together and were very close, despite Tanya's dubious behavior. She was, for a lack of a better term, something of a slut, and Rosalie disapproved. Frankly, her actions around Edward infuriated me, but there was nothing I could really say. I was the outsider, despite having married into the family more than two years ago, and _she_ was family.

It was more than just her flirtatious behavior around my husband that got to me. She had the most annoying, high-pitched voice and a condescending attitude to match. I just didn't like her and had spent the entire week trying to avoid being in the same room. Now, I was camped out in the dark, willing the pounding to stop and praying that I could continue to avoid her until they left in a few hours.

God, however, hated me. Just as I was about to doze off, the door clicked open, and I heard the childish giggle that Tanya thought was _so_ endearing.

"Seriously?" I heard Rosalie hiss. "Are you nuts?" Her eyes found me in the dimly lit room, and I gave her a pleading look. If Tanya knew that I was in here, she would insist on talking to me. Rosalie knew how I felt about Tanya and gave me an imperceptible nod.

"No, I'm not! I don't see why I should have to settle for something less than what _I_ want," Tanya answered haughtily. "So _what_ if the man I want is married? I'll settle for being his mistress for now, and later, when he finally gets the balls to divorce the cold fish, he'll marry me."

"Tanya, it's not going to work that way, no matter what this guy has promised you. They're just words for him to get what he wants!"

"You have it all wrong," Tanya insisted. "He hasn't promised me anything. We haven't even talked about it."

"You're hinging your future on a pipe dream," Rosalie said, clearly exasperated with her long time friend.

"It's not a pipe dream!" she insisted. "Edward loves me, Rosalie. I know he does. Just because all we can have now is the sex part, doesn't mean that it won't become more. He's not happy in his marriage, Rose. You know that as well as I do. I've known him my whole life, and I've never seen him this unhappy." Tanya was practically pleading with her to understand.

"You're fucking my _brother_?" Rosalie's voice was cold and laced with venom. Her hands had found their way to her hips and her eyes flashed dangerously.

I barely heard Tanya's response, confirming Rosalie's question, before I felt the bile rising in my throat. I swallowed convulsively and bit back a sob. All this time, my husband had left me alone, still a virgin, while . . . sowing his oats with that _tramp_. Any dreams of a happy future that I'd ever had died in that instant, and I just wanted to bolt. I couldn't go anywhere, though, without revealing myself.

"-believe you, Tanya! How could you do that to Bella?" Rosalie hissed angrily.

"Please," she scoffed. "Their marriage was purely a political move on your parents' part. There's no feeling between them. They've never even spent _one_ night together. Edward doesn't _want_ her."

Tanya's pronouncement rang in my ears and I had to fight the wave of nausea that swept over me. She was right. He didn't want me.

Rosalie grabbed Tanya's arm and tried to drag her from the room. "I think you should leave, Tanya. I thought you were a better person than _this_."

"Me? I'm not the only one in this here, and I'm the _bad _person? I'm not _married_, Rose. I've not broken any promises," she defended.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be having a word with my brother, too. In the meantime, though, I don't want to see you here. Go home," Rosalie ordered.

"Such a drama queen!" Tanya yelled. "_God_! I thought you would support me here!"

"Go home, T." Rosalie's voice had taken the cold, hard edge again. It was the perfect accent to the slicing in my chest.

The door behind me closed, and I let the sob that had been building in my chest break free. Tears poured down my face, and I willed my body to move. I didn't want anyone to find me here like this, and I needed to figure out what to do. There was another entrance to the room, and though the route was longer to get back to my room, there was less of chance of seeing someone.

I ran.

The passages wound through the house, and I continued running. I was sure that I looked like a mess, with snot and tears coursing down my face, but I just wanted to be alone. Again, God was _fucking_ with me, because as I ran into the hallway where my room was, I almost ran into Edward.

"Bella?" he asked in alarm. "Honey, is everything okay?" He reached out to me.

Anger welled up inside me at his betrayal and the pretence he always offered me. "Fuck you!" I spat, batting his hand away. "Don't touch me."

I wrenched open my door and slammed it behind me. Edward's puzzled and concerned face burned into my mind. I needed to get out of here. This wasn't home to me, when my husband avoided me like the plague and stuck his dick elsewhere. Right now, all I wanted was the comfort of my old life.

Hastily, I cleaned myself up and threw some clothes into my unused suitcase. I hadn't been anywhere since I had moved here, and suddenly, it felt like a prison. From the window in my bedroom, I watched the Spencers' car disappear down the driveway, and I called down to Demetri to ask him to bring mine up to the front of the house.

I grabbed my stuff and clomped down the stairs. I just needed to get out of here. Of course, my luck was complete shit, and Alice was still in the foyer.

"Bella! What are doing? I already packed for your weekend trip!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not going wherever this weekend, Ali. I'm going home," I stated plainly.

She blanched. "What do you mean? You can't, Bella!"

"Well, I am. I love you, Alice, and I'll call you sometime, okay?" The longer I stood there arguing with her, the more my heart ripped from my chest. I just needed to get out of there so I could fall apart in peace.

"When are you coming back?" she asked, sounding somewhat frightened. I probably looked like a crazy person.

"I don't know if I am. Now, please, I have to go." I pushed past her and started rearranging my things in the car. I was still trying to load a box of books I didn't want to leave behind, when the front door flung open.

"Bella! What are you doing?" Edward called, somewhat panicked.

I glared at him, letting my anger hold me together. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going home." I did my best to make my voice as steely as I was able, but even I heard it waver over the word "home."

Edward stopped in front of me, confused and hurt at my tone. "You are home. _This_ is your home," he insisted.

"No, Edward, this is _your_ home and _your_ family. You've made it abundantly clear that I'm not part of that."

He looked like I had punched him. "Bella?" he whispered, that pained expression he always gave me firmly on his face.

"I won't ruin your life anymore," I said hurriedly. I was losing my resolve. Every part of me wanted to seek out what comfort I could get from him, but I couldn't let that happen. "You can have that whore like you want."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he shouted, clearly aggravated by my accusation.

"Tanya, Edward," I said venomously, and his face paled. I read the guilt in his expression, and it gave me all the confirmation I needed. I chuckled humorlessly and shook my head. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving."

"Please, wait," he called, his voice faltering.

"For what? For you to leave me alone night after night, while seeking your comfort in someone else? For you to tell me that it's not what I think? For you to offer me platitudes that I'm supposed to suck up because that's _all_ you offer?" I cried, anguished. "I can't do it anymore, Edward!" I opened the driver's side door. I needed to leave now, before I lost all the composure my anger was giving me.

"Bella, please, don't leave," he begged. "Don't leave me."

His eyes were pleading, and he reached out to me again. My heart ached to lace my fingers with his, then my mind conjured images of those same hands caressing Tanya, and I ducked into the car.

"Goodbye, Edward," I choked. As soon as the door closed, the floodgates opened, and the tears began to flow. I watched him in my rearview window as I drove away. He never moved, just stood staring at my tail lights.

**EPOV**

God, this week had been torture. Not only was I anxious about the weekend birthday trip I had planned for Bella and I, but Mom and Dad had invited the Spencers up. And true to form, as soon as they arrived, Tanya wouldn't leave me alone. Every chance she got to get me alone, she tried to seduce me. Last night, when Alice, Rose, and Bella had gone out, Tanya had declined and stayed home. As soon as our parents went to bed, she was all over me. She had even gone so far as to follow me to my room and lock the door behind her.

I was trying to be gentlemanly-I really was-because I knew that I had encouraged this by our past relationship, but it _had_ to stop. Bella was finally going to be eighteen, and I had already made enough mistakes.

Tanya, however, didn't take the hint and continued to try to undress me. Finally, I just pushed her away gently and told her that I didn't want her that way. She cried and protested that no one knew me like she did, and that Bella would never be the woman I needed, but I told her that Bella was my wife and the only woman I wanted.

I knew that eventually I would have to come clean about my past indiscretions with Tanya, but I wanted Bella and me to have a firmer foundation before I did. When I explained my reasoning, I knew she would understand. She simply had to or all of my sacrifices would have been for naught.

I met Bella on the stairs. She was clearly upset by something, but she just yelled at me and ran to her room. I was slightly concerned, but hoped that whatever had upset her would pass before we left. Instead, Rosalie burst into my office while I was finalizing all of our arrangements , slamming the door behind her.

"What is it with the women in this family slamming doors today?" I asked, annoyed.

"What is it with you not being able to keep your _dick_ where it belongs?" she shot back.

"_Excuse_ me?"

"Did you really think Tanya would be able to keep her mouth shut forever, asshole? I've got news for you. She didn't. She just told me all about your cozy little arrangement." My sister was pissed.

My eyes shot open. I couldn't believe that Tanya would go bragging about what happened in the past. "She wouldn't."

"She did, and she's not ashamed who knows," Rosalie told me.

My eyes closed, and I dropped my head into my hands. "Fuck!" I muttered.

"How could you, Edward?" she cried.

"It's complicated, Rose." Fear rose in my gut, along with shame and guilt.

"Edward!" Alice was shouting at me, too, from the other side of the door. She threw it open, and the panic was clear on her face.

"What is it, Alice?" I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

"Bella's leaving, Edward. I tried to stop her, but . . ." she cried.

"Fuck!" I screamed. That word seemed to be getting thrown around a lot. I ran from the room and to the driveway in a blind panic.

When I got there, Bella was loading a box into the back of her car. "Bella! What are you doing?" I called.

The look she gave me froze me momentarily with its sheer hate. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going home," she said coldly. Her voice was unsteady, and I knew that I was reason. I kept walking, more slowly this time, and stopped when I got to her. I had to make her understand that this was where she belonged. Here. With me.

"You are home. _This_ is your home," I insisted.

"No, Edward, this is _your_ home and _your_ family. You've made it abundantly clear that I'm not part of that." And that was it. All my waiting, all my frustration, and all my planning boiled down to this. I'd made her feel unwanted.

"Bella," I whispered, wanting to make her understand as soon as she would let me.

"I won't ruin your life anymore," she mumbled. "You can have that whore like you want."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I shouted. What whore did she think I wanted? The whole situation was making me feel unhinged and anxious.

"Tanya, Edward," she spat, and I knew that my lapses in judgment had caught up with me. The bottom fell out of my stomach and my heart settled somewhere on the ground near my feet.

"Please, wait." I tried once more time to get her to talk to me.

"For what? For you to leave me alone night after night, while seeking your comfort in someone else? For you to tell me that it's not what I think? For you to offer me platitudes that I'm supposed to suck up because that's _all_ you offer?" she screamed. "I can't do it anymore, Edward!" She opened her door, and I knew that my world was about to crash down on me. I had tried to make her feel welcome without revealing myself to her, but I had just pushed her away.

"Bella, please, don't leave. Don't leave me," I begged. She stared at the hand I held out to her, and I silently pleaded with her to come to me, but she got in her car. The last thing I heard was her telling me goodbye before she sped away. I just stood there in shock.

Jasper walked down to me and clapped his hand on my shoulder. "I take it that didn't go well."

I shook my head and followed him back into the house. He led me into the family room, where the rest of my siblings were already gathered. When I saw Rose, I immediately turned on her.

"How _could_ you, Rosalie? How could you tell her all of that without talking to me first?"

"I didn't tell Bella anything, Edward! She was in here and heard it herself. How could _you_?" she screeched.

"You know what, Rose? I don't need this right now," I spat and went straight up to my room. It felt cavernous and lonely. Bella had never been in here, but it was always a comfort to me to know that she was on the other side of the wall.

The dividing door between our suites was calling to me, and I slowly entered her quarters. I had never been in there, either, and I suddenly found it rather sad that I had kept us so far apart. I ran my fingers over the spines on her bookshelves, shocked that there were so many books still there. They were obviously important to her. Pushing aside my feelings of intrusion and guilt, I wandered around her space. There were pictures of her parents, Bella and Alice, all of us together, and next to her bed, there was a picture of us from our wedding.

_I had spent several hours with the photographer already, getting pictures of me and my family, sans my bride. I was so nervous. I knew that an arranged marriage wasn't going to be the easiest route, but I knew that I needed to settle down. Tanya was my only prospect, and there was _no_ way I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. _

_My parents had brought the subject up, and I agreed to let them search. When they showed me Isabella's picture, I knew that she was the one that I wanted. The picture was clearly not a scripted one as she was laughing at something off to the side. Her heart shaped face was beautiful, and so expressive. She was the one I had been looking for. I asked them to go ahead with it, and now, I was waiting for her to walk down the aisle toward me. _

_As soon as I saw her, I knew that I had made the right decision. We said our vows and exchanged rings. I pressed my lips to hers and was lost to her. For another_ _half an hour, we stood side by side, as man and wife, as they memorialized the event. I didn't register anything but the beautiful woman beside me. _

I set the picture back on the nightstand and hastily went back to my room. On my own nightstand was the model that Bella had gotten me on our first Christmas together.

_Our family had always opened presents by the giver, one at a time, and I watched as each of my siblings and my parents opened their gifts from Bella. I expected the usual gift cards and generic presents that come from someone new, but Bella astounded me. Emmett strutted around the room in a new Bears jersey, holding the personalized Louisville Slugger bat that Bella had gotten for him. My sister was squealing over a pair of shoes that she had apparently admired, and Jasper was thumbing through a Civil War book. Alice had opened a new sewing machine. Shyly, my Bella handed me a box containing an exact replica model of the first airplane I had ever owned. She had even painted my call numbers on the tail. How she had even known was beyond me, but it was one of the most thoughtful presents I had ever received. The aquamarine necklace I picked out paled in comparison. _

It was dinner time, and I still hadn't heard from Bella. I sent her a quick text, asking her to let me know that she arrived safely, before I trudged downstairs to the table.

We all ate in silence, sending quick glances to each other across the table. My phone beeped, and I hurried to check it.

_**Bella said to tell you that she is there. She doesn't want to talk to you right now. **_

I nodded at Alice, and my heart sank further. I had no idea how I was going to fix this, or even if I could.

**Thanks for reading and please leave me a review. Is there anyone is your life whose voice makes your skin crawl?**


	2. Chapter 2: Messages

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Yes, Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and I own this plot. It's amazing how that works. No, I don't give you permission to repost it or translate it. **

**A/N: The initial response to this story has shocked and thrilled me. Thank you all for your support! Big thanks go out to Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing this for me and making my writing better. You ladies are the best! Thanks also to Riss usc-mam for pre-reading. Lovely, I hope it all gets better for you. **

**Chapter Two: Messages**

**BPOV**

It was the longest four and a half hour drive ever. As I drove away, I felt like I was ripping myself in two, leaving my husband standing there. All I ever wanted was for Edward to love me, and all I got in return was a broken heart of my own.

Mom and Dad were very surprised to see me when I knocked on their door. Sensing that something was wrong, my mom told Dad to get my bags and ushered me upstairs to my old room. It hadn't changed much, and I instantly felt the comfort I was seeking.

"Do you want to talk about what is bothering you?" Mom asked gently.

I shook my head and bit back a fresh flood of tears. "Can you just hold me instead?"

She gave me a sad smile and pulled me into her arms, just rocking me back and forth. I cried into her shoulder for what felt like hours, and she never asked any questions about my sudden appearance.

When my eyes finally ran dry, she patted my back. "I'm going to go get some dinner ready. Come join us when you want."

My phone signaled that I had a message, and I wiped my cheeks before picking it up.

_**I know you are angry with me, but please let me know that you arrived safely. **_

I fingered the keyboard and tried to decide what to say. I wasn't ready to talk to him. Instead, I sent a quick message to Alice, knowing that she would relay it. Dad hadn't wanted to interrupt, so all of my things were sitting outside the door. I dragged them in, propped them in the corner, and lay down on my bed, exhausted. Sleep claimed me immediately.

The next morning, my mother dragged me to her new yoga class.

"Come on, Bella. It will help center your thoughts and provide clarity," she said. She was wrong. The only things it gave me were new bruises and sore muscles. I did appreciate the time spent with my mom, though. As much as I loved Esme, there was nothing like your own mother to calm your nerves and fears. It didn't take away my troubles, but at least I felt cared for.

On Sunday, my mother entered my room early in the morning and forced her breakfast smoothie on me. It was some green concoction with grass in it, and it smelled like shit. The stringiness and putrid odor made me ill. I set it to the side and hoped she didn't notice.

"I have an art class later, and I'd love for you to come with me," she told me.

"I don't think they want to see my stick figures, Mom," I laughed.

"Fine. Then we'll talk here. Now," she bossed.

"Mom, I—"

"No, Bella. I've let you alone long enough. You show up here, obviously upset, unannounced, without your husband. I've been around long enough to know that he's probably done something to make you run home. Tell me what's going on," she ordered.

"He doesn't love me, Mom. We don't talk or spend any time together, and we never have. He wants to be with someone else." I sniffed and hugged my pillow to me. The despair and feelings of being unwanted welled inside me and threatened to drag me under. I gripped onto the pillow as if it were a lifeline keeping me afloat in a sea of uncertainty.

She furrowed her brow. "Did he say that?"

I paused. "Not to me, but . . ."

"No buts here, Bella. Have you talked to him about it?"

"No, but . . ."

"I said no buts. The answer is either yes or no. There is no room for excuses here. You are always welcome here, and you can stay as long as you like, but as long as you are married, you need to talk to your _husband_ when you have concerns." Her voice was no nonsense, and I suspected that the sympathy and compassion I wanted to find here were in short supply.

"Now, that said, I'm glad that you're home. I've missed you terribly. Come with me to art class and put your feelings on the canvas."

I gave her a half-hearted smile and dressed for the day.

Her art class was . . . interesting. When she told me to put my feelings on the canvas, she wasn't kidding. Her instructor believed that the best art came from the heart and that we should all express ourselves freely. For me, that meant lots of broad, angry strokes in red and a decapitated blond blob. Mom was so proud that she insisted I take it home with me.

There was a bouquet of lilies on my dresser when I walked in. With trembling hands, I opened the card and read.

_**Bella, I know these aren't your favorite, but they reminded me of our wedding. I know that you don't want to talk to me right now, but please at least hear me out. I'll be here when you are ready. **_

_**Love, Edward**_

_Our wedding rehearsal had been surreal. I just couldn't fathom that all this fanfare was for me, and Edward was even dreamier than he had been in his picture. _

_He helped me into his car, before driving us back to the house for the official rehearsal dinner. _

"_I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived," he said softly, barely heard over the purr of the engine. _

"_It's all right. It gave me a little time to bond with Alice," I teased. _

_He chuckled, and I decided right then that I wanted to hear that sound a lot more. "She is certainly something, isn't she?" His voice was a little deeper than I'd thought it would be and was as smooth as velvet. _

"_Yes, she is. Where were you?" I asked interestedly. _

_He groaned. "Italy, on business. It was an unqualified disaster." He was quiet for a moment, before he spoke again. "What do you like to do for fun, Isabella?"_

_I laughed. "Please, call me Bella. Only my grandmother calls me Isabella. As for my hobbies, I don't know. I like to read and swim. What about you?"_

_He chuckled again. "When I have time, I like to play music, read, play sports with my brothers, and travel. Are lilies your favorite flowers?"_

"_What? No," I asked, confused. "Why do you ask?"_

"_Oh, I just thought that since we were using them in our wedding . . ." He trailed off. _

_I snorted. "No, that was my mother's idea. Daisies are my favorite, but she didn't think those would be appropriate. In fact, of the few choices I was actually given, none of mine were used."_

_He smirked at me. "Oh really? What would you have done differently?"_

_I pursed my lips in thought. "It would have been a much simpler affair, I think. All of this fanfare isn't really me, you know?"_

"_Well, no, I don't know, but I can see what you mean," he teased. He was playful and kind, endearing qualities for the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. I could see us getting along well. _

"_Good point. What about you?"_

"_Hey, I was just told when to be there and where to go!" he defended. _

_We had gotten along so well and shared small touches and glances throughout the dinner. After dinner, we took a walk in the garden, where he told me that he had to postpone our honeymoon because of business issues. We agreed to go another time, and when he gave me a hug in thanks, I fit into his arms like a missing puzzle piece. Little did I know that was the most contact we would have in two years._

I set aside the card and paced for a few minutes. Anger and hurt welled up within me and I wondered how it had all gone so wrong from our auspicious beginnings. I could find nothing in those initial interactions to foreshadow or warrant the neglect of the last two years and the violation of our wedding vows. I came here for clarity, but all I had found were more questions.

I spent the rest of Sunday in my room. I read a little bit, choosing an old Agatha Christie murder mystery that I knew would take my mind off my own problems. It did help somewhat, and for a short time, I was back to being the young and naïve fifteen year old girl, whose only worries were school exams and whether or not I was going to attend the homecoming dance.

On Monday morning, I woke to a text message from Alice.

_**I miss you. When are you coming home?**_

I debated on how to answer. _**I miss you too, doll. I don't know. **_

She must have had her phone on her, because her reply was immediate. _**You need to talk to him. He's devastated. **_

_**Good. Let him suffer for a while. I've had two years of waiting for him. He can wait a few days for me. **_

When she didn't reply, I got up and headed downstairs. Dad was in his study, and I stopped in the doorway.

"Hey, kid," he said gruffly. "Had a good trip home so far?"

I shrugged, and he raised his eyebrow at me. "So it's not a social visit, then?"

"Not really."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

_Cut off my husband's dick? Help me bury the body? _I chuckled at my internal musings and shrugged again. "Can I have the name and number of the family attorney?" I asked hopefully.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" His over-protective fatherly instincts were kicking in_. _

"No, I just need some legal advice," I said nonchalantly.

He leveled me with a hard stare and regarded me for a moment. Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he consulted his phone and wrote a name and number on a piece of paper. Without another word, he shifted his chair back and left the room. Not wanting to sit alone at the table, I stood and made my way out as well.

Mom met me on my way back upstairs and asked if I wanted to go with her to yoga again. I agreedwith reluctance and went for another hour of torture.

This time, I was sorer than before and in a less than stellar mood. I did not understand why my mother did this to herself and why she insisted on doing it to me, too. I stomped into the house, intending on taking a nap, when my mother gasped.

"Oh, Bella, look!"

There, on the hall table, was another bouquet of flowers; this time, a beautiful collection of daisies. I smiled involuntarily and reached out for the card.

"Who are they from?" my mom asked conspiratorially.

I gave her a "well, duh" look and shook my head. "I'm sure they're from Edward."

"Perhaps things aren't as bad as you thought they were?" She said it as more of a statement than a question, but I chose to answer anyway.

"No, they are." I picked up the vase and carried it with me. I wanted to read his card in private.

_**Bella, I'm sorry. I know that probably doesn't mean much to you right now, but I am sorry for hurting you. Please come home and talk to me. Or I'll come there. Just—don't shut me out. Please.**_

_**Love, Edward**_

I regarded his words for a long time. I thought it was interesting that he wasn't sorry for his actions, only for hurting me. I also thought it was curious that he was asking me not to shut him out. I kind of felt like that was all that he had done to me for the entirety of our marriage. The feelings these thoughts provoked were whirling, and I found it difficult to settle on just one. Bitterness, anger, hurt, and jealousy alternately made their way to the forefront and this was one of the reasons that I couldn't talk to Edward yet. I had to sort myself out first.

I knew I wasn't ready to respond to his entreaty, so I used the time to call Jason Jenks, my family's attorney.

"_Jenks, Scott, and Walters, how can I help you?"_

"Hi, this is Isabella Swan-Cullen. May I speak to Mr. Jenks please?" My name wasn't really hyphenated, but I thought it might help him identify me.

"_One moment please."_

I waited for several minutes, before the line clicked again and a deep male voice picked up. "_This is Jason Jenks."_

"Hello, Mr. Jenks. This is Isabella Swan-Cullen."

"_Hello, Mrs. Cullen! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"_ His voice was cheerful, but kind of oily.

"Actually, I have a few questions for you regarding marriage law."

He was quiet for a moment. _"Ah, well, what can I tell you?"_

"What are appropriate grounds for divorce, and what would the ramifications be?" I asked hesitantly.

"_Is there a specific case you have in mind? It might help me to have some details."_

"Um, no. Consider this a hypothetical. Calling for a friend." When he first asked, I was tempted to tell him, as I was sure that he handled any paperwork regarding my marriage, but Edward's flowers caught my eye, and I was no longer so sure.

"_Well, you really don't have to have a reason for a divorce. An annulment would take a little more work and proof that the marriage was not fully consensual. Usually in cases where the families are well off, we negotiate a fair settlement based upon what each party brought to the marriage and what was acquired during the marriage. If you, or rather your friend, want to follow through with this course of action, they would need to come in and provide us with some specifics."_

"Thank you, Mr. Jenks. That does give me the information I needed," I answered.

He told me to call anytime I needed anything and bid me a good day. I hung my head and took several deep breaths. I knew that I wasn't ready to take that step. It would be a decision made out of anger and hurt. I also knew that I wasn't ready to have a conversation with Edward. I sent him a text in response to his flowers.

_**Thank you for the flowers. It's nice to not be ignored for a change. I need some time. Please.**_

I picked up another novel, read for awhile, and then went for a walk in the woods around the house. The part that really sucked in all of this was that I really cared about Edward, and I always wanted our marriage to be real. It was so ironic that he'd barely paid me any attention until I left. When I was no longer there, he realized what he had done, I supposed.

The following morning, I was awakened by my mother informing me that she was going to a meeting at the church and wouldn't be home until after lunch. I sent Angela a text, asking her to come over after school, and I started cleaning up the mess I had made in my room.

I grabbed a book and went outside to read for a little while. The day was warm and sunny, and I needed the sunshine to help warm me inside and out. When I came back in for lunch, there was another delivery for me, and Maria, our housekeeper, had already made me a sandwich. I took both the roast beef sandwich and the box upstairs and sat on my bed.

Before I could open it, though, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"_Bella?" _Esme's voice sounded a little frantic. _"Sweetheart, are you okay?"_

I debated on how to answer this. "Not really, Esme, but I will be."

"_When are you coming home, Bella?"_

"I don't know. I just need some time away," I answered. I wasn't sure that I could handle being so close to Edward right now.

"_Bella, this is a family matter, and we need you here to deal with it as a family,"_ she insisted.

Something in her tone rubbed me the wrong way. "Actually, Esme, it is a private matter between Edward and myself. He and I will deal with it when we are both ready."

"_Oh, I see."_ Her voice was smaller. _"I miss you, dear, and I'm worried about you. I feel like I've completely failed you as a mother."_

"You didn't fail me in anything, Esme. Please don't worry. I'll call you soon," I assured her.

"_Okay. I love you, sweetheart. Call me soon."_

I choked out a goodbye and broke into a fresh round of sobs as soon as I hung up the phone. I was still wiping my eyes when Angela arrived. I had never been so happy to see her in my life.

**EPOV**

Friday was absolutely horrible. I had no idea exactly how so much had gone wrong so quickly, but I knew that I was completely to blame. After dinner, I called the resort to cancel our reservations and retired to my room. Thankfully, my family left me alone.

I woke early Saturday morning to Alice knocking on my door. It was well known that I liked to sleep in on the weekends, and I was certainly in no mood to be awake today.

"What is it, Alice?" I asked with a yawn.

"Can we talk?" she asked timidly.

I shrugged and motioned for her to sit next to me on the bed. She and I had been friends for years, ever since her mother brought her over that first day. We were confidants and consolers to each other.

"Have you talked to Bella?"

I shook my head. "I thought I might send her some flowers this morning."

"Do that." She handed me my phone, and I called in the order. Since our relationship started with lilies at our wedding, I chose those as a start in asking for her forgiveness. They told me that the flowers would be delivered the following morning.

Once I was done with that, Alice just looked at me expectantly.

"I don't know what to do now, Ali. I've tried for so long to protect her from me, and all I've done is hurt her." The well of hurt deepened, and I felt like I was splitting apart.

"Do you want to talk it out?"

"With Bella, yes. But until she's willing to talk to me, not really. I'm sorry, Al. I just feel like she needs to hear this first."

"Of course. Let me know if you need any help, or if you need to talk before then." Alice patted my arm and left the room.

I burrowed back under the covers and tried to hide from the rest of the day. Other than sending flowers to Bella, I managed to hide in my room all weekend. I didn't want to face my family, since they apparently all knew what a fuck up I was. I did wonder what Tanya had said, but I was almost afraid to ask.

Rosalie took that choice out of my hands on Sunday night.

"Get up!" she ordered as she marched into my room.

"I am up, Rose," I replied from my study. "I just don't feel like socializing."

"Well, this isn't a social call." She stood facing me with her hands on her hips. "You never answered my question the other day. How could you do this to her, Edward?"

"Do what? What exactly did Tanya say?" I asked, now thinking I urgently needed to know this.

"She told me about your relationship with her, and Bella was in the room."

"That's just it. We don't have a relationship. What did she say?" I persisted.

"She said that you all were fucking, and that she was willing to wait for the divorce she _knew_ was coming for you to declare your love for her. She talked about how unhappy you were and called Bella names. She's willing to wait and be your mistress until Bella is out of the picture," Rosalie stated plainly.

I just gaped at her, unwilling to believe that my childhood friend would say anything of the sort.

"So, I ask again. How could you do that to Bella? I mean, I've always gotten the impression that she's less than experienced in the bedroom, but infidelity?" I had to hand it to Rose. She was a bull dog when it came to information she wanted.

"Rose, there is no relationship with Tanya. Not like that." I shook my head in denial.

"You've never had sex with her?" she asked bluntly.

"I didn't say that. Only that there was no relationship. She's not my mistress and will NEVER be my wife, even if Bella leaves," I elucidated.

"What does that even mean?" She stared at me like I had snakes curling out of my head. I hadn't actually showered since Friday morning, so perhaps there were.

"I cheated on Bella, Rosalie. Having to wait more than two years to have any sort of physical relationship with my wife was too much for me. It's not something I'm proud of, but it happened, and I can't take it back," I stated, with more anger and loathing for myself than I could have ever imagined.

She scrutinized me for some time and then sat across from me. "Why wait two years for Bella, again?"

"Christ, Rose. She was fifteen years old when we got married. Fifteen. I had no idea until James told me at the reception. I couldn't just . . ." I searched for the right word, "have my way with a child. She was afraid. When we went up to the honeymoon suite, I was fighting with myself. I didn't know what to do, but the instant I looked into her eyes, I knew I couldn't do it. She was terrified!"

"Oh. I didn't know."

I sat in silence with my sister, both of us just pondering the situation. I appreciated her input, as she was very close to Bella, but I just wanted to talk to Bella.

"Have you called her?" Rosalie inquired.

I shook my head. "No, she sent Alice a message saying that she didn't want to talk to me. I sent her flowers, but I haven't heard from her."

"Give her some time, but let her know you are thinking of her," she counseled, standing to leave. "I'll see you in the morning."

On Monday, I finally heard from Bella.

_**Thank you for the flowers. It's nice to not be ignored for a change. I need some time. Please.**_

Nice not to be ignored? What exactly did that mean? Did she think I ignored her? Every time I was anywhere near the woman, I couldn't concentrate on anything but her. If the things I sent made her feel cherished, though, I would make sure she got something every day.

I found Alice in her sewing room, working diligently.

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked, attempting to sound playful, but failing.

"Making some new drapes for the parlor. Your mom decided that the floral print she picked out three years was out of fashion." She rolled her eyes but smiled. I knew that she didn't mind and was only complaining for the fun of it. "What are you doing up here? Aren't you usually holed up in that office of yours?"

"I can't concentrate." I stepped in and fiddled with a bolt of fabric lying on the table. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," she teased.

"Ha ha. That was funny when you were twelve. Seriously, though, do you have a minute?" I was getting more nervous by the second.

"Of course," she answered and turned off the sewing machine. "What's on your mind?"

"Do I ignore Bella?" I blurted out.

She raised her eyebrows. "Yes," she responded frankly.

"I do?" I asked incredulously.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Edward, when was the last time you spent any time with her? Had a conversation? Did you even wish her a happy birthday?"

"She had already left by then and made it clear she didn't want to talk to me, Alice!" I defended.

"What do you mean 'she had left by then?' Her birthday was on Thursday. That's why Rose and I took her out." Alice was giving me a strange look.

"Bella's birthday was Saturday," I insisted.

Alice shook her head at me. "No, you idiot, her birthday was on Thursday. The thirteenth. You missed it. Again."

"Damn it. Why didn't you tell me?" I shouted, now fully aware of yet another thing I screwed up.

"I thought you knew. She is _your_ wife, after all," she retorted.

I rubbed my hands over my face. "Fan-fucking-tastic. I am officially the shittiest husband on the planet."

Alice nodded and picked back up her drape. "Go fix it, then."

I stood and went back to my room, pondering Alice's words. I wanted to send Bella something tomorrow to let her know she was on my mind, and also show her that I had paid attention to her. Her sitting room seemed like the place that she had put the most of herself into, so I opened the door again and studied what she had left of her life here.

After what seemed like an hour, I came up with the perfect gift, provided she hadn't bought it for herself while she was at home. Knowing that I had a conference call at two, I called Demetri and asked him to run to the store for me. When I told him what I wanted, he gave me a smirk and then winked.

"Good choice," he noted. "She'll love it." Fabulous. Even Demetri knew her better than I did. It made me feel even worse, and I hadn't known that was possible.

I went back to my office and settled in to listen to one of our business managers cover all of the current financial issues with a commercial center we owned. Apparently, there were some property tax issues that we needed to address, and he thought we needed to reexamine the rents on the ones whose leases were coming up. I asked him to provide me with some comparative data and told him that we would reexamine it at that time. Satisfied with my response, he bid me a good day and hung up.

Demetri knocked softly on my open door, alerting me to his presence. "I have your package, sir."

"Thank you, Demetri." 

He slipped out the door before I could say anything else and was replaced in my doorway by my mother. Judging by the look on her face, she was probably the reason he left so quickly.

"I need to see you in my office. Now," she said forcefully, but not unkindly.

I gave her a questioning glance, but she just pointed and walked away. Like the dutiful son I was, I went straight to her empty office and sat in one of her guest chairs. My mother's office was one of the smaller ones in the hallway, but she refused to move. Various photographs adorned the walls, and piles covered the available surfaces. There were books on the desk and on top of the bookcase and stacks of papers all over the desk. It was perfectly organized for her, but the mess drove me nuts.

Within minutes, my mother returned with Alice and Rose on her heels and a serious look on her face. Both of them shot me questioning glances, but I just shrugged and stood so that they could have the chairs. I leaned against the bookcase and crossed my arms, waiting for my mother to tell us what was going on.

She took a deep breath and bit her lip. "I just received a strange phone call from Jason Jenks."

Jason Jenks was one of our family attorneys, and I briefly wondered why my mother would call the three of us together if we were being sued. It made no sense. For that matter, neither did Jenks calling. He specialized in family law, mostly.

"He got a phone call from Bella today, inquiring for a friend about legal issues surrounding a divorce. She said it was hypothetical, which is the only reason he mentioned it to me, and he was concerned that we had a family issue he wasn't aware of."

My heart had plummeted into the depths of my stomach, and I thought I was going to be sick. Both Alice and Rosalie gave me concerned glances which I saw out of the corner of my eyes, but I was too busy focusing on the floor to return the sentiment.

"Now, I have called the three of you together so you can tell me what the hell is going on. Alice and Rose, you are two of the closest friends Bella has and the only two that are married—that I know of. Edward, you are Bella's husband, and as I recall, she left here rather suddenly on Friday. Is there something going on that I should know about?" my mother demanded.

"Jasper and I are fine, Esme," Alice answered meekly, somewhat cowed by her mother-in-law.

Mom turned her attention to Rose. "Don't look at me!" Rose declared brashly. "You know when Emmett and I fight. Everyone in three counties would know if we weren't fine."

Finally, Mom's gaze turned to me, and I struggled to meet her eyes. "Bella and I aren't fine, although I am sure you have guessed that by now," I whispered.

Compassion and understanding flecked through her eyes, and she grimaced. "I see. Girls, I'll see you in a little while." It was a clear dismissal. Both stood together and turned to leave. Rose gave me a small smile, and Alice rubbed my arm in a comforting gesture before they exited. I was left standing alone with my mother.

The already small space was suddenly claustrophobic, and I felt like a ten-year-old about to be taken to task for misbehaving.

"Come on, sweetheart," my mom said gently while tugging on my arm. "Sit with me."

I sank into one of the guest chairs, and Mom surprised me by taking the other. She took my hands in hers and angled her head so she could see my face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Yes, but I really want to talk to Bella," I responded mechanically.

Esme gave me a sad smile. "What happened?" she pried.

"I don't know, Mom. Nothing. Or not enough. I've kept my distance because I needed to, and maybe it wasn't the right thing to do. Now, I've just hurt us both, and I don't think I can fix it. Not after hearing that she's called Jenks." My eyes were burning, and my chest was tight.

"Edward? Do you want to fix it?" Mom asked carefully. "And I mean, do you want to fix it for you and Bella, and not for the family?"

While I thought about her question, I took several deep breaths. My mother knew me extremely well and knew that I would forsake my own happiness for the good of my family, if they needed me to. "Yes, Mom, I do."

"Then go to her. Talk it out," she urged.

I shook my head. "She's pretty angry with me right now and asked me for some time. I'm going to honor that."

"Okay. If you need me, though, you know where to find me. I love you, sweetheart, and I hate to see you hurting. Take a couple of days off if you need to."

"No thanks. Not right now. I need something else to think about anyway," I told her. Not that I was actually thinking about work, but at least the fact that I was supposed to be doing something was keeping me sane.

"I'll see you at dinner tonight," she ordered, and I left her office.

When I returned to my office, I stared at the sheet of stationary in front of me. I wanted to tuck a note conveying all of my feelings into Bella's book. The problem was that I didn't think she would appreciate my particular brand of confusion right now. Eventually, I decided to just tell her what I needed her to know.

_**Bella, **_

_**This reminded me of you, and I thought you might need some new reading material. I realize now that I've not really been fair to either of us. There is so much that we don't know about each other, and I think it is time that we learned. Regardless of what you decide, I would appreciate the chance to do so. I know that I don't deserve it, but I hope that you can find it in your heart to give me that. I remain yours, as always. **_

_**Love, Edward**_


	3. Chapter 3: Perspective

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Once again, Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. This story's plot belongs to me. Please don't post it anywhere or translate it without my permission. **

**A/N: Holy cow. I have been blown away this week by the reactions to this story. Some of you want to hang Edward by his toenails and others want to hear more from him before he's lynched. Either way, there's been a lot to say. For that purpose, twilight15 graciously started a thread over on the Twilighted forums for anyone that wants to discuss, rant or give me presents of a virtual nature. I also post teasers and join in from time to time. Big thanks go out to Riss usc-mam for pre-reading and Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for doing beta duty. You guys are fantastic and I appreciate you so much. **

**Chapter 3: Perspective**

**BPOV**

Maria must have let Angela in the house, because her arms were around me, and she was comforting me with quiet words that I couldn't really hear over my sobs. I just felt her arms around me, holding me tightly. Still, it wasn't enough. I wanted _his _arms. _His _comfort. And I couldn't have it. It only made me cry harder.

"Please talk to me, B," Angela begged.

"I . . . I don't know what to do!" I wailed, my body heaving.

She pulled away from me and held me at arm's length, angling her head so she could see my face. "Why don't you start at the beginning?

"I don't think I can," I mumbled. "I don't even know where _that_ is."

"Why are you crying?" she asked, concerned and confused. I had always been the strong one, the one that did the comforting, and now she was comforting me.

I hiccupped and sniffed through the deep breath I was trying to take. "Edward has been having an affair," I said aloud, and it caused a fresh wave of anguish to run through me. Angela had been one of my closest confidantes all these years, and I knew she would understand.

"Are you sure?" she asked, shocked.

"His _mistress,_" I spat the word, "made sure to tell my sister-in-law all about it with me in the room. He hasn't denied it."

"You've talked to him about it."

"I confronted him as I was leaving, and the guilt was written all over his face. He's sent me flowers and asked me to talk to him, but that's it," I confessed to her. "I'm just not ready for that conversation."

Angela thought for a moment and pursed her lips. "Okay, let me get this straight. He's not been sleeping with you, and according to this tramp, who obviously knows he's married, he has been having sex with her. And you are here . . . crying? Where is the kick ass girl I know? _Why_ aren't you fighting back?"

"What do I have to fight for? How can I compete with her when she's the one he wants?"

"If you haven't talked to him, how do you know what he wants?" Angela challenged. "Now, where is the stuff he's sent?"

I pointed to the flowers on my dresser, and she strolled purposefully over to them. She read through the cards several times, and then I showed her the texts on my phone. She nodded in appreciation.

"And that?" she pointed to box near my side.

"Uh, I don't know. I haven't opened it yet." I shrugged and picked it up, turning it over in my fingers. I ripped it open, and the newest Patricia Cornwell novel fell onto the comforter. "Oh my God! It's . . . it's the book I wanted! How . . . how did he know?"

Angela picked up the note and held it out to me. I read through it, not really understanding what he was saying, but appreciating it regardless. I smiled and handed it over. She rolled her eyes at me and grinned back.

"Let's get the Bella I know and love back," she suggested. "After that, he can meet her."

For the rest of the afternoon, we chatted while giving each other manicures and pedicures. Angela had met a boy named Ben in her Environmental Science class, and she was completely enamored. By the end of the day, I was pretty sure I knew the location of all of his moles, even the ones normally hidden for propriety's sake. She was nothing if not thorough. And I was a little grossed out.

Angela couldn't stay for dinner, and I didn't blame her for not wanting to. Mom wasn't known for her culinary abilities and she was cooking tonight. We did make plans to go to the spa on Thursday, though.

Dinner was supposed to be ready at six, but at three minutes 'til, my mother yelled for me to come in and help her. Maria was going to have a field day with this. Pots and pans were strewn from one side of the room to the other, and there was sticky, brown goo dripping from the counter onto the floor. A haze of smoke colored the air, and I winced as the acrid smell burned my nose. Mom was fluttering over something on the stove and waving her hands wildly.

"I need you to get the roast out of the oven before it burns," she shouted. I cringed. It was an experimental night—all nights when Mom cooked were—and those didn't have a history of turning out well. My thoughts shot back to the last time we'd cooked together.

_Mom and Dad were in for a weekend visit, and I decided to make them a nice meal. I had missed my parents so much and needed something to feel normal after eight months of living in a new place. When I told Mom my plan, she squealed and asked if she could help me. Despite her track record and my misgivings, I agreed, and we set out to make chicken enchiladas. Because there were so many of us, we had to make three trays full, as well as Spanish rice and refried beans. Mom also thought it would be fun to make a Mexican dessert, and chose fried ice cream as she figured she could actually make it without a problem. _

_I started sautéing the chicken for the first pan and sprinkled it with the cumin, garlic, and Mexican spice while it cooked. Once I was certain that it was no longer pink inside, I set it aside and prepared for the next batch. Mom booted me out of the way and took over the skillet. Instead, I prepared the three baking dishes with enchilada sauce, and I was counting out the flour tortillas we were using when Mom started cussing and shrieking. _

"_Bella! What do I do? The chicken's burning!"_

_I ran across the room, removed the skillet from the fire, and threw the chicken onto the platter to cool. "Geez, Mom! It doesn't need to get that done!" I reminded her not-so-subtly. _

_I quickly cooked up another batch and set it aside to cool while heating the drippings and the vegetables in a deeper pan. Mom helped me shred the chicken and mix it all together. She scoffed at my insistence that we coat the tortillas in the enchilada sauce, so I let her have her own pan. We finally got them all put together, and my two pans went into the oven. I set the timer for fifteen minutes and started cleaning up our working area. Mom ran back to her room to clean up and while she was gone, mine finished, and I put hers in. _

_I reminded her to pull her pan out when the timer went off and returned to my room to change as well. Unfortunately, when I came back, smoke was billowing out of the oven, and the fire alarm was blaring in the kitchen. Dad was just laughing at Carlisle's question about calling the fire department, and I avoided everyone's gaze in my own mortification. _

"_Mom, what did you do?" I yelled into the kitchen. _

"_It's fine," she soothed. "I thought they needed to cook a little more, so I left them in. Then, when I went to pull them out, some of the sauce sloshed out onto the heating element."_

_The enchiladas sat on the stove, attempting to look innocent but looking distinctly crispy, instead. Knowing that I wouldn't subject my new family to this, I resigned myself to having to eat the overly browned mess. _

_Mom and I carried the dishes to the table, and we all took our places. I, of course, served myself from the burnt pan and sent one of my trays to Edward. _

"_So, you like to cook with your Mom?" Edward asked politely. _

_I laughed. "Not really. I like to cook, and Mom likes to . . . play. Those are mine—they should be safe."_

"_And those?" he asked with a smirk. _

"_Hers. I thought I would save you the pain."_

_He laughed, and it was a beautiful sound. When he took a bite, he moaned lightly in appreciation, and my body stirred in ways I was unfamiliar with. _

"_Oh God, Bella. These are amazing!" he exclaimed with his mouth full. Within minutes, he was helping himself to seconds. After his next bite, Edward glanced over at my mostly full plate. "Not as good as yours?" His voice was playful, yet concerned. _

"_They're a bit smoky," I whispered. _

_He winked at me. "Here, have a bite of mine." He held his fork, full of enchilada out to me, and slipped it in between my lips. I groaned at the combination of flavors on my tongue, and I heard Edward suck in a deep breath. _

"_Those are so much better than these," I mumbled. I shot a concerned glance at Edward, because his hands were clenched on his lap, and he was taking deep breaths. _

"_Edward, are you okay?" I asked, laying my hand on his arm. _

_He flinched and nodded, slowly opening his eyes and meeting mine. He looked tortured. _

The memory of his expression turned over and over in my mind as I directed my hands in the mindless task of making gravy. I just didn't understand it. Perhaps that was what he meant in his note. Mentally, I catalogued that as something I wanted to ask.

"Bella, did you hear me?"

"No, sorry, Mom. I was a million miles away. What did you say?" I returned politely.

"I asked if you were going to come with me tomorrow to the pre-school. We're starting enrollment, and I thought you might be interested in the process," she repeated impatiently.

I thought for a moment and considered. Since Angela and I had our appointments on Thursday, I had something I needed to take care of tomorrow. Esme and I usually went to the hospital every other Thursday, and it was our week. Going on Wednesday would guarantee that I didn't run into her. "No, but thank you. I need to go to Bally Children's Hospital tomorrow, since Angela and I are going out on Thursday."

"Continuing your responsibilities?" Mom asked slyly.

"I don't want to disappoint the kids for something they have no control over. It wouldn't be right to punish them for Edward's and my problems," I reasoned.

She nodded and turned back to the green beans she was stirring. I switched off the heat and made plates for each of us. Dad sniffed his dinner before taking a bite, and wiggled his chin in a gesture to me that it was safe to eat. That had been our signal to each other throughout my childhood, and for an instant, I was back to being their little girl. I giggled and dug in.

Once dinner was finished, I returned to my room and opened the book Edward sent me. Before I knew it, I was engrossed and the clock read eleven PM. Reluctantly, I put it down on the nightstand and prepared for bed. I had a five hour drive, each way, in the morning, and I needed to get started early.

The alarm went off shockingly early, and I heard a crinkle near my ear when I rolled over to shut it off. Edward's note must have been on my pillow, because it was wrinkled from my head. I smoothed it out and set it carefully on my dresser with the other notes before getting ready to go.

It was past ten when I arrived at the hospital. Luckily, Esme and I kept a bin full of art supplies in the supply closet, and I retrieved it immediately to make sure I had enough materials to make the craft I had conceived on the way up.

The biggest concern that so many of these kids expressed to me was worry about their families. They knew their parents and siblings gave up so much to support them while they were in the hospital, and most of the time, the crafts we made were given to them. I thought it would be nice for the kids to make a craft about someone they loved.

I spread magazines all over the table amidst various pieces of paper and felt. The glitter and glue were stationed in one spot to facilitate easier cleanup, and markers lined the center.

I motioned for the nurse to send the kids in, and one by one, those that were able filed in. Claire, a precocious nine year old, scooted over to me and gave me a huge hug. That broke the ice, and several others caught me up in a group hug. I laughed lightly and settled them each in their seats.

"Today, you get to choose one person in your life and make them a collage. All of the drawings and pictures should be things that you love about them or doing with them. Now, get to it!"

A couple of girls squealed, and the room became a cacophony of talking and laughter. I helped a few of the smaller kids cut out pictures and complimented each creation. Claire stopped me as I walked past her.

"Ms. Bella, where's yours? Don't you need to make one for someone special in your life?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me and giggled.

"Um, I hadn't planned to make one," I said lamely.

"Oh! You should make one for your husband," one of the other kids chimed in.

I put my hands on my hips and stared at them. "Who told you about that?" I scrunched up my face and made it look kind of silly, so they would know I wasn't mad, although I was surprised to hear it.

"Mrs. Esme!" several of the kids chimed in together.

"Come on, Ms. Bella. Make one for him!"

I caved. There was an extra seat at the table, and I sat in the child-sized chair carefully. I didn't want to fall on my ass, after all. With a sigh, I gathered a couple of magazines and reflected on what I loved about Edward.

The sting of his betrayal was too fresh, though, and at the moment, I found it difficult to think the word love in connection with him. I couldn't show that to the kids, so I settled for making a collage containing things I knew about him.

If nothing else, the project was insightful. I knew he loved to fly, so I pasted on a small cut-out of an airplane. It was reminiscent of our first Christmas together, when I got him a model of his first plane. A vodka ad featured a black piano, so I put that on there, too. Esme used to brag about how talented he was, but I had never gotten to hear him play. That would have required him to stay in the same room as me for any length of time, I figured.

I also found a car that looked a lot like his. And . . . I was officially running out of ideas. I had spent a lot of time trying to watch him over the years, and I really hadn't learned anything, mostly, because he hadn't let me in. That just pissed me off even more.

I finished off my collage with some glitter swirls, set it to the side to dry, and helped the kids finish theirs. The nurse in charge came in and ushered the kids back to their rooms while I cleaned up. I spent some time reading with each of the kids. It was relaxing and just what I needed to refocus. They knew what was important, and they never hesitated to make sure those around them knew how much they cared. The little things were the most important and were the things they treasured; things like reading a book with a friend, or playing board games with their parents.

I didn't make it home until after eight o'clock, and my mother was waiting for me.

"Have you eaten?" she asked by way of greeting.

"I grabbed some McDonald's on my way back," I replied. She seemed like she had something else she wanted to say, so I waited patiently for her to get to it.

"You got another package today." She held it out to me, and my brow furrowed.

I tentatively took the package and tried to guess what was in it. Mom was bouncing slightly and looking at me expectantly.

"What?"

"Open it!" she screeched.

"Oh, for the love of God, Mother!" I threw up my hands in frustration and rolled my eyes.

She followed me into the kitchen, where I used a pair of scissors to cut the tape. Inside was a brand new iPod. There was a note in there, as well, but I covered it to open later when I was by myself.

"Wow, that's . . ." Mom tried. It was clear she was at a loss, though.

"It's a music player, Mom," I explained. "One I really wanted." Again, my brow furrowed in confusion. How had he known?

"Okay . . ." She looked puzzled. "Where did it come from?" she prompted.

"It's from Edward, Mom." Really, who did she think it was from? Did I have a fairy godmother that randomly gave me expensive presents I had never known about?

"Hmm. Perhaps it isn't as bad as you thought it was?" she hinted again.

"No, Mom, it is as bad as I think it is. He's just . . . trying," I hedged. Other than trying to get me to talk to him, I didn't know what he was trying to do. Or why.

She gave me an odd look and left the kitchen without another word. I wondered if she felt like I had let her and Dad down by not making the match successful. My home suddenly felt foreign.

I trudged upstairs with the box still in my hand, and I set it on the bed to get into my pajamas. Once I was ready, I crawled up and sat against my pillows. I turned the box over in my hand and opened it. It was a shiny new iPod Touch, and there was already music programmed in. I stuck in the earphones and pressed the screen to make it play a random song while I opened my letter. Classical music drifted into my brain as I read.

_**Bella, I know how much you love music, and Alice helped me fill this with some of your favorite songs. I put a few of mine on there, too. I hope you enjoy them. I still haven't heard from you, and that scares me, to be honest. I am trying to give you the time and space you need, but it is killing me not to know where I stand with you. I know that I fucked up. I just don't know how to make it up to you. Shout at me, yell and scream, hit me if you must, because at least then you will be here, where you belong. I don't expect your forgiveness, but I will spend the rest of my life attempting to earn it. Please come home. **_

_**Love, Edward**_

I read and re-read the letter, trying to make sense of his intent. He had spent most of our marriage ignoring me, treating me with indifference, only now to act like my presence mattered. There was something I was missing; I just didn't know what.

Part of me wanted to send a reply to make him feel better, but the dominant part, the angry part, figured I should let him stew for awhile. After all, for years, I had felt rejected and unwanted, never knowing where I stood with him. He could endure it for a few more days.

I lay down and curled up under my blankets, tired from my long day. I thought back over the last couple of years and wondered just what I had presented to him. I certainly hadn't been myself, as Angela pointed out. Even with Alice and Rosalie, who knew me better than anyone in the house, I had held back. I wanted to be the perfect example. The perfect wife. Now, I was determined to be the perfect me. No more pretending.

Sleep claimed me quickly, and before I knew it, morning had broken. I showered quickly and waited anxiously for half past nine to arrive. Angela had an eight o'clock class—which she claimed to sincerely regret signing up for—and was coming straight here afterwards.

The letter from Edward was still on my bed where it I had left it the night before, so I added it to the ever growing collection on my dresser. I thought back to his entreaty and toyed with the idea of sending him a message. If the roles were reversed, I would be going insane right now, and I knew it. Was my desire to make him wait just to make him suffer like I had? I decided that it was.

_**We'll talk soon. I will come home—just not ready yet. I have a few things to work out on my own. If it makes you feel better, I don't know where I stand with you, either. Aren't we a pair?**_

I had just finished sending it when I heard the doorbell. In my haste, I tripped on the stairs and plowed headfirst into the newel post at the bottom. Mom was answering the door, and Angela stepped in just in time to see my forehead smack into the wood.

"Shit!" I screamed as I clutched my head. "That's gonna leave a mark!" I swayed around the foyer with my hand over my head, while both of them just stared at me.

"What?" I yelled.

Angela started giggling, and my mom gave me a "Have you lost your mind?" look.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked through her laughs.

"No!" I shouted. I stopped jumping and considered the question. "Yeah, I'm fine. Need some aspirin, though."

"I'll get it for you," Mom murmured and left the room.

"So," I said to Angela excitedly. "What are our plans today?"

She laughed at my eagerness, since I was still rubbing my head. "We have massages scheduled at 10:30, lunch an hour later, followed by facials and hair trims. Does that sound good?"

"Fantastic!" I agreed. Mom returned with a couple of painkillers and a bottle of water and smiled at us as we left. I downed them in the car, hoping that they would kick in before we got there.

The Foundation, the swankiest spa in the area, was packed for a Thursday, but the concierge greeted us warmly and led us to the changing room. Then we went to a quiet room with big, fluffy chairs to wait for our massage therapists and to relax before our treatments began.

"Have you thought more about what you're going to do?" Angela asked me quietly.

"Yes, but I haven't figured it out yet," I replied softly with a slight laugh. "He sent me an iPod yesterday."

She gave me a curious look. "Is he trying to buy you back?"

"I don't think so. He filled it with my favorite songs and some of his. He said he wants to make it up to me and will spend the rest of his life trying."

"What does that mean?" Angela looked skeptical.

"Honestly, I don't know that, either. I finally sent him a message, basically saying that I don't know what he wants from me. I mean, does he actually want to try being a husband? Or is he looking to assuage his guilt before we split?" I shrugged.

"And that is why you need to talk," Angela said knowingly.

I shrugged and leaned into my chair. Seconds later, the two masseuses came in and took us to our private rooms. For the next hour, Jessica, my therapist, unknotted every muscle in my body, even some I didn't know I had. When she was finished, my body felt like jelly, and I wasn't sure that movement was going to happen. I did manage to get my robe back on and walk slowly back to the relaxation room, where Angela was waiting for me.

"Do you feel as boneless as I do?" she questioned.

I nodded. "Tell me we get to sit down for awhile?"

"Lunch is in there." She pointed to a little café behind frosted glass doors.

We walked over and munched on salad and fruit while we talked about her relationship with Ben. She asked me to come out with them the next night so I could meet him, and I agreed. She was head over heels for this guy, and I was so glad to see her happy.

We chatted over inconsequential things while we got our facials, during the times we could talk, that is. It was really good to catch up with Angela; she had been one of my best friends since fifth grade.

"You should cut your hair," Angela blurted suddenly.

I reached up and fingered my long locks. I had been growing my hair out for years and it was now mid-back. "Cut it?"

"Yeah, go for a new look for the new you," she said casually.

I pondered it for a minute and shrugged. "You know, I kind of like it. Do you have a suggestion?"

"Nah. How about we ask your stylist?"

So that is what we did, and I let her do it. When she was finished, my hair was feathered and slightly shorter than my shoulders. I felt freer than I had in years, like the weight on my shoulders had disappeared with my hair. I flung it behind me and gave Angela a coy look, which made her giggle.

Our ride home was filled with laughter, and when Angela dropped me off, Mom stared at me in shock.

"You're so happy. Is that all it took? A day at the spa and a haircut?"

I shrugged and smiled at her. My troubles weren't gone, but I did feel better about myself.

There was a fresh bouquet of roses waiting for me on my dresser, and I smiled involuntarily. The smell invaded my senses, and I took a deep breath while reaching for the card.

_**Bella, **_

_**You are my wife, and the only woman I want. I'm sorry that I have given you cause to doubt that. **_

_**Love, Edward**_

**EPOV**

It wasn't getting any better. She'd been gone for six days, and my world had fucking imploded. Mom and Dad both tried to talk to me, but I didn't care enough anymore to leave my room. My words hadn't gotten anywhere with Bella. She still wasn't talking to me, and I desperately needed her to. Her final goodbye rang heavily in my ears.

I had asked Rosalie what Tanya had said, but all she could tell me was that if Bella overheard the entire conversation, which she was sure that she had, it was really bad for me. Tanya basically made it seem like I had been fucking her for my entire marriage and was going to allow her to take Bella's place at my side. That was _never _going to happen, even if Bella never forgave me.

_Moonlight Sonata_ floated through the speakers of my stereo, and I sank into my bed. Bach was capturing my mood perfectly at the moment. Music had always been my sanctuary, and today was no exception. I wondered if Bella ever sought refuge in the strains of Bach or Mozart. I knew she loved to sing and dance to the more popular songs. And just like that, my thoughts drifted back to an evening about six months ago.

_Alice and Bella were attempting to tiptoe through the foyer, but managed to make a horrible racket anyway. Part of me considered telling them to quiet down so they didn't wake the entire house, but Bella looked so happy. I couldn't bear to ruin her fun. Instead, I trailed after them into the rec room, where Rosalie was waiting with what appeared to be frozen margaritas. _

"_Oh, God!" Bella said with a giggle. "These are so good." She moaned a little, and I had to slip back out before I did something I would regret. Unfortunately, I backed right into Emmett. _

"_What are you doing?" he teased. _

"_Nothing." I tried to deflect. _

"_Yeah, that looked like nothing," Jasper chimed in. _

_I knew I was blushing, but I prayed that they couldn't see it in the dim light. _

"_You know, Alice and Rose informed us that they were having a party, and that we weren't invited. We figured we would watch anyway," Jasper continued. _

"_That's right," Emmett broke in. "The view is great from the balcony." Suddenly, I was really glad my younger brothers were really sneaky. I had always been the rule-follower, and it felt good to break out a bit._

_We ran up the back stairs and peeked through the balcony curtains. The music was loud, even up here, and all three girls were dancing rather provocatively and singing loudly. I could pick out each of their voices. Rosalie's was low and strong, perfectly pitched. Alice's was high and throaty, not on key but happy. And Bella's . . . it was perfect. A mid-range soprano, right on key and so joyful. I could have listened to her voice all night. And combined with the gyrations of her hips, she would be my undoing. I wanted her so much. _

_Eventually, I had fled to my room that night, to my brothers' delight, and took matters into my own hands as I so often had to do. _

Bella had mentioned soon after that she wanted to get an mp3 player of some kind, so she didn't have to keep making mix CDs and so that she could take it with her. I didn't think she had gotten one yet, but I called on Alice in her sewing room to make sure.

"Al, did Bella ever get that mp3 player she wanted?" I asked in a rush.

Her eyes widened as she took in my appearance. I was sure I was disheveled and slightly wild looking; I just didn't have it in me to care at the moment.

"I hope you're planning to shower before Bella comes home," she said with her nose wrinkled.

"Yeah, yeah. Did she get it or not? Wait, have you heard from her? Is she coming home?"

Alice frowned. "No to all of them. She hasn't called me at all."

It occurred to me that this was hard on Alice, too. Bella had become her best friend, and she had left Alice behind, as well. "I'm sure there's a reason, Ali. You know she loves you," I consoled.

"Yeah, she loves you, too, and she's not speaking to you either," Alice retorted.

I sighed. "She doesn't love me, Alice. And I've given her a really good reason to stay away from me. You haven't."

"You are so blind," Alice said with sigh. "But no, she didn't get the mp3 player. Go suck up some more."

I kissed Alice on the top of her head and ran down the stairs.

"Edward? Is everything all right?" Mom asked as I skidded by her.

"Just heading out for a bit, Mom. Do you need anything?"

She shook her head and raised her eyebrows at me. I just ignored her and went straight for my car.

The Apple store was packed, but I managed to get in and out since I knew exactly what I wanted. The sales rep continually asked me if I wanted her to load some songs on there, and that led to the next part of my plan. I knew I would need Alice's help to get Bella's favorite songs on it, and I wanted to include a few of mine, as well.

Thankfully, Alice was more than willing to assist me, and we spent a couple of hours loading music. When we were finished, Alice was convinced that Bella would love it and left my room so I could compose a note to send with it. I made sure to give Alice a nod and laid myself on the line. I could only hope Bella would respond.

A courier came to deliver it, and I went down to my office for the rest of the day. I made every attempt to focus on the numbers in the P&L statements, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about them. For the first time all week, I ate dinner with the family, but I retreated to my room when the questions started. I owed them answers; however, I owed them to Bella first. I still hadn't heard from her, and I tossed and turned all night.

There was a knock on my door about eight-thirty in the morning. I rubbed my eyes and sat up when my mother walked into the room.

"Good morning, darling," she said sweetly as she sat on the edge of my bed. "How are you this morning?"

I chuckled humorlessly. "I'm in hell, Mom, and it's of my own making. How do you think I am?"

She laughed lightly. "I think you're a little over-dramatic. I need some help this morning, and I think you are the perfect person for the job."

"But Mom . . ." I whined.

"No buts. Today is the day that Bella and I usually go over to the children's hospital, and I need someone to go with me, as Bella is not here. Get up. We need to leave here about nine-thirty to be there by ten," she ordered.

I knew that tone, and I knew that there was no use in arguing with her. I nodded, and she patted my arm before leaving so I could get ready. I showered quickly and dressed in a button down and black slacks. As I was filling my pockets with my loose change and my wallet, my phone signaled that I had a message.

_**We'll talk soon. I will come home—just not ready yet. I have a few things to work out on my own. If it makes you feel better, I don't know where I stand with you, either. Aren't we a pair?**_

My heart leaped into my throat. I re-read the message, soaking up the few words it gave me and letting the hope blossom in my chest. How was it possible that she didn't know where she stood with me?

I asked my mother to wait while I called the florist, again, and dictated my order and the message I wanted to send. I could only hope it meant something to her.

"You look better," Mom commented. "Is that all it took? Making you shower?"

I slid next to her in the car, and Felix took off. "Not exactly. I finally heard from Bella." I tried to keep the joy and hope out of my voice, but my mother heard it anyway.

She smiled at me. "And? Is she coming home?"

"Eventually, yes."

"I see," she murmured. "Do you want to tell me what happened now?"

"No," I answered shortly.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly, and thankfully, dropped the subject. Instead, she told me about the work she and Bella usually did with the kids at the hospital and what she had planned for today. We were going to make tissue paper flowers with them, and she wanted me to do the reading that Bella normally did. I agreed because, really, I had no choice in the matter.

The floor we went to was bustling with activity. One of the nurses glanced at us and then did a double take.

"Mrs. Cullen! How are you? I didn't expect to see you today!" she called jovially.

"I'm good, Nancy. How are you? Why wouldn't you expect me today? I'm here every other Thursday," Mom answered happily. It was clear she enjoyed her work here.

"Bella was here yesterday, and I figured that would be our visit for the week. The kids will be ecstatic that they get an extra treat!" Nancy announced.

Mom was clearly taken aback, but she covered it well. "Well, she has been travelling this week and wasn't sure if she was going to be able to make it, so I planned to come anyway. Nancy, this is my son, Edward," she introduced.

Nancy's eyes twinkled. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Cullen. Your mom has told us a lot about you over the years." She smiled warmly at me, and I flushed under her appreciative gaze. "I'll let all the floors know that you are here, and you can go ahead and get set up in the play room."

Mom and I walked down the hall to a room filled with toys, a short table and even shorter chairs. Mom moved around the room like she was accustomed to it and began setting up. She gave me little chores to do, and before I knew it, kids were pouring into the room. Several of them cornered Mom and gave her huge hugs. She laughed and smiled with each of them. It warmed my heart to see their reactions and her obvious joy.

"I'm Claire. Who are you?" a little girl with a bandana on her head asked me. She stood there with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to the side.

I bent down so I was on her level and held my hand out. "I'm Edward, Mrs. Esme's son."

"Oh!" she squealed. "You're Ms. Bella's husband! She made something for you yesterday and accidently left it here. I'll get it for you."

She darted off, and I continued to squat there in shock. Bella had made something for me?

Claire stood in front of me again, holding out some material. There were three boxes, connected by the corners and each one had a different picture on it. I carefully took it from her and examined it.

"We all made collages for someone in our family. It was supposed to be the things we love about them," she informed me.

My breath caught in my throat. "Thank you for taking care of it for me, Claire."

"You're welcome. Mrs. Esme said we are making flowers today. You should make her some."

I laughed. The world was so black and white for Claire, not the shades of gray that I lived in. I folded my lanky frame into a chair anyway and followed Mom's instructions, while helping the kids, too. At the end, I had a small bouquet put together, and I wrapped them together with a ribbon.

The kids cheered and thanked us for coming. I even got hugs when we left.

"Thanks for making me come along today, Mom," I told her sincerely as we left.

"You're welcome. Did it do you some good?" She wasn't prying, and I knew that. She was just concerned for my welfare.

"It did. Seeing them, talking to them, it put things into perspective." I ducked into the car and leaned against the seat. "I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't need to. I know. And Bella always tells me the same thing. She loves coming here, especially when she is upset about something. She says it takes her mind off her troubles."

I nodded and wondered how many times I was the cause of those troubles. In an instant, I was taken back to her harsh words in the driveway and my conversation with Rosalie. I needed to talk to Tanya, too. I had no idea what would possess her to say what she did. Had she known that Bella was in the room? Had she wanted to drive a wedge between us?

One thing was certain. I was going to find out.


	4. Chapter 4: Coming Home

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: This is mine. All characters recognizable are Stephenie Meyer's. No copying please. **

**A/N: The reaction to this story continues to be beyond anything I've ever expected. Thank you all so much for your support and discussion. It boosts my confidence and makes the story better. There are a lot of people to thank this week: Paula for making my fantastic banner and Lady Selenity for making the blinkie. You guys rock! And as always, thank you to Riss for pre-reading, and to bonnysammy and Jenny Cullen for pulling beta duty. They always do a wonderful job of making my words sound better. **

**Chapter 4: Coming Home**

**BPOV**

I just stared at the card in shock, sure that someone at the flower shop had mistranslated Edward's actual message. The words were clear and black on the page, though, so I wasn't sure how that would have happened.

_**You are my wife and the only woman I want. I'm sorry that I have given you cause to doubt that. **_

How was that possible? My thoughts drifted back to all of our interactions over the past two years and tried to fit his words in with them. Mostly, he seemed indifferent or pained to have to deal with me, and I couldn't make that fit with a man who claimed that I was the only woman he wanted. I knew that I needed to go home and figure this all out with him, but I didn't know how. For years, I thought that I loved him, and that I was being the good and patient wife, waiting for her husband to come home to her, like Penelope in The Odyssey. Now, that sacrifice seemed silly and misguided. I had a crush on a man I didn't know, and like Odysseus, he wasn't pining away for me and saving himself only for his wife.

I was eighteen years old, but the weight on my shoulders made me feel like I was in my thirties or forties. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, and I yearned to feel and act my age. Going out with Angela was a step in the right direction for me. And the next one had to be going home and facing my shambles of a life.

My father watched me carefully at dinner, his eyebrows furrowing and his mustache twitching . He was a man of few words, but his face was always expressive. He was rarely able to hide his feelings.

"Bella," he said casually as we rose from the table. "Can you help me with something real quick?"

"Sure, Dad," I responded brightly.

My mother looked a little confused, and I suspected that she had no idea what he wanted. He tended to keep our conversations close to the vest, at least until they were over.

I padded quietly in my socked feet to his office and pushed open the door. Suddenly, I felt like I was ten again and being called to task for something I'd done wrong. Dad was already sitting behind his desk, seemingly lost in thought. When he saw me, he motioned for me to close the door and take a seat.

He pressed his fingers together for a few minutes and studied me. "What are you doing here, Bella?"

"I needed some time away, to think and figure a few things out," I answered vaguely. If Edward and I were able to work things out, I didn't want my father to hate him.

"You know that I love having you here, Bells, and you are always welcome in my house," he began ominously.

I waited for the "but;" I could feel it coming.

"But running away from your husband and your problems is not the best way to handle things."

"I know, Daddy," I said sadly. I felt chastised and alone. "I just didn't know where else to go."

"You couldn't have stayed at home?" he led.

"No," I blurted.

Dad took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Bella, I am not going to pretend to understand your situation. Arranging your marriage was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've wished more times than I can count that I hadn't had to do it. But you need to 'figure' things out _with_ Edward, not three hundred miles away from him."

"Can—can I ask you something, Daddy?" I ventured.

He spread his hands and gestured for me to continue.

"Why did you? Marry me off, I mean. I was only fifteen. Why did it have to be then?"

He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. When he opened them, the normal twinkly, cheerful brown was brimming in sadness and age. "Everything we have is yours, Bella," he started quietly. "I have worked hard all my life to build something for my family, for you. Three years ago, the Windemeres found a loophole in one of the deeds to our property. It stated that the property could only pass to a male heir, and without a direct heir, it would pass to the next male in the family. I had no brothers, so I never considered it an issue. Anyway, it turns out that my closest male relative is Marcus Windemere, and instead of you inheriting my property, it would automatically go to him if something happened to me."

I struggled to follow his logic, but I was still unclear as to why that necessitated my marriage at such a young age. I gave him a confused look, and he held up his finger, silently asking me to hold off my questions.

"I talked to Jason Jenks, and he assured me that the problem would be rectified by your eventual marriage. Marriage law essentially would make your husband my male heir, and the Windemeres would be shut out."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. "But why the rush? I just don't get it!"

"The summer before we told you about the engagement, I was diagnosed with early stage colon cancer."

I gasped in shock.

"We didn't tell you, because we didn't want you to worry, especially if there was nothing to worry about. But as I went through my radiation treatments, it quickly became clear that there were no guarantees. My doctors urged me to be positive, but to make sure that my affairs were settled, just in case. You have to understand, Bells, that I didn't want to force you into something that you didn't want. But I know you, and I thought Edward would be a good match for you."

"Are, are you okay now? I can't believe you never told me!" I cried.

"I am. I have been in remission for two years now, and there is no evidence to suggest that it will come back. There were so many changes going on in your life. I just didn't want to add anything else. Now, you know that you may stay here as long as you need to." He switched gears rapidly, signaling that he was done with that part of our discussion. "I love you, and I've missed you, but judging by the revolving door of delivery men, someone at home misses you, too. Think about it."

I nodded and left silently, lost in all of the information my father had just imparted. My room was dark, and I collapsed on my bed. One thought buzzed in my brain, and before I could stop my fingers, they scrolled through the contact list and hit send.

Edward answered on the second ring. _"Bella?"_

Now that I could hear him, my voice deserted me, and I mouthed soundlessly against the phone.

"_Bella, are you there? Are you okay?"_ He sounded kind, caring, and slightly panicked, the tone causing my ire to rise.

"No, I'm not okay," I said frankly. "Did you know?"

Edward hesitated. _"Did I know what?"_

"My father had cancer. Did you know?"

"_What?" _he shouted. _"When? Is he all right? What'is the prognosis?"_

I instantly calmed. He hadn't known either, and hadn't kept it from me. "He's fine now. It was when we got married. He just told me, and I thought you knew."

"_God, no!"_ he breathed. The line was quiet for a moment. _"Bella, what prompted him to tell you now?"_

"I asked him why he would give me away like he did. Why he traded me for property," I whispered. It hit me as I said the words, and I knew that it had affected me more than I realized.

Edward sucked in a breath. _"Have you always felt that way? That you were a commodity?"_

I shrugged, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "No . . . yeah, I don't know. Maybe?"

He swore on the other end of the line, but I didn't think I was supposed to hear it. _"You do know that isn't true, right?"_ he asked somewhat harshly. _"He did explain that, didn't he?"_

"Yeah," I answered uncertainly. "The property passes to you as his male heir so that it stays in our family. You got a wife. Win-win for you. I'm not sure what Dad got out of it, other than making sure I was taken care of," I said dryly.

Edward scoffed. _"It was a win for me, in that I got you, but the property is yours, Bella. In the agreement, he gifted the property to me early, and I signed it over to you. It became yours on your eighteenth birthday. I thought you knew all of this."_

"Nope, no one ever bothered to tell me. No one tells me _anything_." I sounded bratty, but I didn't care so much at the moment.

The line was silent, and I wondered if Edward had bored of our conversation and hung up, but my phone indicated that the call was still connected.

"_I have a lot to tell you,"_ he said softly after several minutes. _"I just don't know how. Do you . . . do you want to do this now?"_

"No, not really," I sighed. "Why is this so hard?"

"_Because we put it off too long. I put it off too long,"_ he amended. _"Do you want me to come there? Be on your turf?" _His offer wasn't just one of desperation like it had been the first time. It was a peace offering, a way to cede the control and the comfort to me.

"It's not really my turf," I mused. "I ran home only to find that this isn't home anymore. Besides, I'll be back in a few days."

"_Will you explain that later?"_ he requested.

"I guess. Listen, I'm sorry I called like this."

"_I'm not,"_ he interjected.

I laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, well, I didn't mean to interrupt. I know you're busy and all. I just had to know."

"_I'm not too busy for you, Bella. Ever. Scared of you, yes, but too busy, no."_

"What? Scared of me?" He had lost me again.

"_That's part of another conversation for another day, love," _he said gently. _"Get some sleep and come home to me, please."_

His word choice made me uncomfortable, especially since it was his actions and inactions that had driven me away in the first place. "I'll be back to the house before long. We'll find some time to talk then," I stated firmly.

"_Oh, okay. Good night, Bella."_ He sounded defeated and slightly sad, but I knew he had gotten the message.

"Good night, Edward." I hung up the phone and dropped it onto the mattress. Quite frankly, I was shocked that I had called him in the first place, and even more surprised we'd had such a long conversation. We hadn't discussed any of the things we really needed to say to each other, but it was a start.

My thoughts swirled in my brain, and finally, exhausted, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

The ringing phone woke me in the morning, long before I was ready to be awake. "Hello?" I mumbled sleepily.

"_Good morning, sleeping beauty! Are you ready for tonight?"_ Angela squealed into the phone.

"Do you always get up this early?" I cringed at how awake she sounded.

"_Silly! It's after nine. Are you still in bed?"_ She laughed since she didn't actually think I would be up and about.

"Of course I am. I had a long night," I retorted. "What are the plans for tonight, anyway?"

"_I'm going to hear about last night later, right?"_ Angela confirmed.

"Yeah, yeah, nosey Parker," I grumbled. "I was under the impression you were introducing me to your man tonight. That still happening?"

Angela squealed in excitement and gave me directions to a new restaurant they wanted to try. I was going to meet them there at seven for dinner and then go to a dance club afterwards. She was so incredibly head over heels for this guy, and her need for my approval was oozing though the phone. With a smile on my face, I promised to meet them there.

I tried to bury my head back in my pillow for a few more minutes of oblivion, but I was completely unsuccessful. Instead, the myriad of questions that had filled my mind the night before distracted me and kept my brain racing for answers.

With a groan and a sigh, I threw off the covers and grabbed an old notebook out of my desk drawer and pen off the top. I planted myself in the center of my bed and tapped the pen against my lips. The only way I was going to get all of this out of my head was to write them out, one at a time. Quickly, I discovered that most of them were actually variants of others, and the most important ones were so open-ended that I wasn't sure that Edward would ever be able to answer them to my satisfaction.

I dropped the notebook on top of my suitcase and went into the bathroom to wash up. Until tonight, I had nothing particular to do, and I intended to waste the day away buried in a book. At five o'clock, I put a piece of paper in my book to mark my place, and I trotted back inside to get ready.

Mom caught me staring into my closet, wide-eyed and petrified. When I agreed to this dinner, I hadn't thought about what I would wear.

"Mom, I don't have any of my good clothes here," I said with a hint of panic. It was too late to do anything about it now, and I had no idea what to do. At home, I would run to Alice, and she would work magic and spin me an entirely new outfit; she was like the MacGuyver of fashion.

She smiled at me and shook her head. "I am sure I have something we can make work." With a wink, she disappeared from my room, leaving me standing there in my bra and underwear.

I shook my head and went to the bathroom to blow dry my hair while I waited, and was almost done when Mom returned with a cute, dark blue dress. It was made of that new wonder material that never wrinkled, hugged the curves you wanted, and hid the ones you didn't. She was also carrying a pair of black kitten heels.

"I usually wear stilettos with this dress, but I thought these would be more appropriate for you." She shrugged and held the dress up for my inspection.

I nodded and smiled while continuing to style my hair. The new haircut was very different than what I was used to, and Mom pushed me into a chair so she could help. When she was done with me, I barely recognized myself. I looked incredible!

Mom agreed. "Baby, I don't know if you should go out in that," she teased and wagged her finger at me.

I just rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the dress, Mom. I shouldn't be too late tonight."

"Enjoy yourself, and have some fun," she encouraged as I walked out the door.

The restaurant wasn't far from my parents' house, and it was packed. Angela and Ben were already seated, and they stood to call me over. I choked and tried to school my expression into something more neutral. Ben was a least a head shorter than Angela, and the picture they presented was comical.

"Bella! You made it! I am so glad you're here!" Angela said and wrapped me in a huge hug. "This is Ben. Ben, this is Bella, my best friend since grade school!"

I shook his hand and sat down across from them. It was an odd setup for a restaurant table—a rectangular table set for two people on each side, and I felt a little like a student sitting across from the principal's desk. Angela shifted the flowery centerpiece to the end so we could all see each other better. Our waitress was attentive, almost to the point of hovering.

The Cuban cuisine was exquisite, and the perfect light fare before a night of dancing. Ben told me a lot about himself while we ate sweet potato French fries, and I discovered that despite his vertical deficiencies, he was really quite engaging. Ben was funny, self-deprecating, and he absolutely adored Angela. It was evident in their every interaction, and I felt like I was intruding.

Just as I was attempting to create an excuse to let them have a date without a third wheel for the rest of the night, Angela raised her eyebrow at me and asked pointedly, "You were going to tell me about last night?"

I winced and glanced over at Ben. He was looking down at the drink in his hand, and was slightly uneasy with the turn of the conversation.

"Um, I just talked to my dad for a little while, and then I called Edward," I mumbled.

"Holy shit! You called him? What did he say?" It was like my sordid little love life was the most interesting thing she had ever heard, and part of me didn't want to disappoint her with the details. I chanced another glance at Ben, and he gave me a small smile.

"I hope you don't mind, Bella. Ang gave me the back story on your situation. I have to say, the concept of arranged marriage in our society fascinates me. Feel free to go on," Ben invited.

"Gee, I am glad my life is so interesting to everyone," I intoned dryly with a shake of my head. I did, however, continue with the details they wanted to know.

"Dad called me into his office after dinner and asked me why I'd come back. He basically took me to task for running away from my problems, just like my mom did, only subtler. So, I asked him why he'd sold me, why he'd done it in the first place."

Angela gasped, and Ben leaned forward, engrossed.

"So, get this. Apparently, Marcus Windemere is my Dad's second cousin or something like that and has his designs on part of our land, a huge part. There is some clause in the deed that says it has to pass to a male heir, or it will revert to the nearest male relative, which is Marcus. Since Dad has no sons, he didn't have a male heir to pass it to. That's where the marriage thing came in. My husband would be the direct heir that he needed."

"So he made sure you got one?" Angela asked incredulously. "What was the rush?"

"He had cancer," I said quietly. "He married me off to make sure that the Windemeres didn't get my land."

"Did Edward know?" Ben asked.

I laughed. "That is what I wanted to know, and that's why I called him."

Angela opened her eyes wide and motioned with her hands for me to go on.

"He didn't know. Apparently, Dad gave the land to him right away, and he wrote up some agreement that it would become mine on my eighteenth birthday," I told them.

"Did you all get to talk about anything?" Angela asked gently.

I shook my head and was saved by the waitress bringing our bill. Ben reached out and snatched it away, complaining that he would look less like a man if he didn't treat his girls right. Angela and I just laughed and got ready to leave.

The club they'd chosen was popular with the underage college crowd. It gave the bar/dance club feel without the alcohol on Friday nights. Sadly, after our conversation regarding Edward, I wasn't in the mood to watch other kids our age grind all over each other. Angela wasn't going to let me wallow in my misery, though, and she dragged me out to the dance floor with her.

Angela, Ben, and I were all dancing together and laughing when someone came up behind me and laid his hands on my hips. His body moved to the music behind me, and I just let it happen. Through my dress, I could feel that his hands were a little sweaty and clammy, and his over-done cologne invaded my nose. At the end of the song, he followed me over to the bar, where I got a bottle of water and downed half of it in one gulp.

His sandy hair continued to bob to the music, and he leaned in so I could hear him.

"Thanks for the dance, beautiful. The name's Mike."

I gave him a half-smile and said, "Bella. Thank you. It was fun."

"Shall we?" He gestured back to dance floor as I reached into my purse to find my phone. I had no idea what time it was, and I didn't want to be too late. My parents weren't used to having a teenager in the house, after all. It was after eleven, and there was a text message waiting for me.

"Give me a minute," I shouted over the music and pointed to the long line in the corner. "Bathroom break!"

He nodded, and I strolled off to stand and wait, fiddling with my phone as I did so.

_Lil Sis, I missed you last week. You gonna make me watch the games this week alone?_

I smiled. Emmett and I bonded over baseball the summer after my wedding, but our favorite tradition was football Sundays. Every week, we fixed snacks and planted ourselves in the rec room to watch all of the games on television. Somehow, he managed to convince Esme and Carlisle that we needed the NFL Sunday Ticket so we could literally watch any game we wanted.

Emmett was a huge Green Bay fan and had tried to convert me right away. Much to his dismay, I didn't abandon my roots and refused to be swayed from my support of the Pittsburgh Steelers. My father had raised me that way, and I had no intention of diverting.

I quickly pulled up ESPN and checked the schedule. Green Bay was scheduled to play the Steelers at home this weekend, and there was no way that I could miss taunting Emmett for three hours. That meant that my attempted escape from reality was rapidly coming to a close, and that I had to go home and face my husband. I wasn't sure if I was really ready, but I couldn't put it off any more.

Suddenly plunged back into my reality, I hastily used the restroom and then waded through the crowd to find Ben and Angela. They were dancing to a slow song, so wrapped up in each other that they seemed to have forgotten about me. I smiled for my friend and mentally wished her every happiness. She deserved it.

I didn't want to interrupt them, but I didn't want her to be worried, either. I tapped her on the shoulder and waved goodbye. Her eyes narrowed, but I nodded to affirm that I was okay and just going home. She returned my smile and turned back to Ben. We waved at each other, and I headed for the door.

Inches away from freedom, my arm was yanked back by strong fingers around my wrist. Mike pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"And just where do you think you are going?"

I stared at him in disbelief, my gaze traveling between his arms, that were locked around me to his slightly angered face. "I'm going home," I said firmly.

"I don't think so. You promised me another dance," he insisted.

My stomach twisted in fear. I had never been in this situation before. On the rare occasions that I did go out, I was surrounded by Rose, Alice and usually, Demetri. I had never had to deal with this on my own.

"I apologize, but my plans have changed," I said shortly, but politely.

"What's so important this late at night, huh? Just one more dance," he wheedled.

"No." Anything else I was going to say was cut short by his mouth sloppily pressing against mine. I shoved against him, but his grip was vise like. Since I couldn't fight him off that way, I sucked his lip into my mouth and bit down . . . hard.

Mike jerked away from me and covered his mouth with his hand. I could see the blood dripping into his hand. "You bitch!" he shouted. "You bit me!"

"Next time, keep your hands and your mouth to yourself, asshole," I spat. "Good night!"

I ran to my car and threw myself into it, breathing heavily. Sobs overtook me, and I just sat there with the tears streaming down my face. It wasn't how I ever imagined my first, non-wedding, real kiss, and the reality that my husband, the one person that was supposed to love and cherish me, didn't want me the way some asshole in a bar did, ripped me apart.

When I finally had control of myself, I sped home and rushed to my room. On my nightstand was a new bouquet of flowers, and I had to restrain myself from throwing them across the room. Stupid asshole! How in the world did he think ignoring me for more than two years was going to make me feel?

The card taunted me from its place, nestled between the blossoms, and I tried to fight the need to open it with everything I had. The part of me that still craved Edward's love and acceptance was stronger than my anger, though, and my hand snatched it off the plastic holder on its own volition.

_Bella, I want you to know that I heard what you said and didn't say last night. I know that you don't believe me and have no real reason to, but I miss you._

_Love, Edward_

I stared at his words, but they didn't seem to sink in. I just couldn't fathom their truth, and even though I wanted to believe him more than anything, I didn't.

Since it was still early by teenager standards, I slipped back downstairs in my pajamas and bare feet to raid my father's liquor cabinet. Drinking wasn't something I did often, but after the turmoil of the night, I needed the mental respite. I only felt slightly guilty about drinking alone on my bed.

Several shots of tequila later, I started sending text messages.

_Alice, Alice, Bo Balice!_

I giggled as I hit send, not really expecting to get a response, since it was after midnight.

Alice's response was swift and terse, though. _A week of silence, and that's what I get? Are you drunk?_

_Yep. Sorry haven't called. Needed space from Cullens._ I knew that my comment might be hurtful, but really, she was his best friend, and I didn't need to hear her defend him.

_Kinda hard, moron. You are a Cullen._

I giggled, because she did have a point. _Touche. _

_Are you coming back home soon? I miss you. _

I sighed and typed out my answer. _Yes. This weekend. Don't broadcast, please. _

_So you don't want him to know? Why?_

And at the heart of it, this was why I hadn't called her. I knew that as much as she loved me, Edward was her best friend, and she wouldn't understand how hard this had been. It was the reason I had never told her about our issues in our relationship in the first place. I crafted my message carefully. _Because I don't want to get his hopes up. _

When no answering text came, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. In my inebriated state, it took a little longer than I planned, because I had a huge mess to clean up when I was done and I had to change my pajamas.

My phone remained silent as I tossed and turned, and I became more convinced that I had acted justly in not talking to Alice about my problems. I hoped that when I went back home, we could come to an understanding regarding my feelings on the matter. It would be nice to be able to talk to her without fear that she would turn everything around on me.

The next morning, a soft knocking on my door woke me from a light slumber. When I called for the visitor to come in, the door opened to reveal my mother, still in her own pajamas, carrying a tray full of breakfast.

"I thought we might have breakfast in bed together this morning," she said softly.

"Thanks, Mom!" I gave her a genuine smile and patted the bed next to me.

We shared a plate of muffins and a huge bowl of fresh fruit while she asked me about Ben and my evening out. I omitted the emotional breakdown, but when she glanced over to the now only partially full tequila bottle, I suspected that she knew.

"What's the plan, baby girl?" she finally asked, though I knew it had been on her mind all morning.

I took a deep breath and gave her a sad smile. "Well, today, I am going to do all of my laundry and spend some time with my favorite mom." I figured that a little flattery never hurt, since she was going to have to put up with my depressed mood all day. "Tomorrow, I'm going home."

"Good for you. I'm glad to hear it. What shall we do with our girls' day, huh?"

In the end, we just sat around in my room and chatted most of the day. I washed my clothes and repacked them, adding a few more of the things I had left when I'd moved out. Mom assured me that I would always have a place here. She did hope, however, that next time, Edward would come with me. All I could do was nod and give her a small smile. Until I knew more, there were no guarantees.

I went to bed early that night, since I had to be up early in the morning to get on the road. The game started at one, so I had to be there by at least twelve-thirty. That meant that I had to be on the road no later than seven.

Mom had a bagel waiting for me, and Dad loaded all of my luggage into the car before the sun was even up. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought they were happy to get rid of me. Mom hugged me hard and wished me luck. Uncharacteristically, my dad kissed my cheek and told me that he loved me, before reminding me to turn on my lights, put on my seatbelt, and to call when I got home.

The drive between my parents' house and the Cullens' was long and boring. The land was mostly farm land, and it was flat. I turned up the music on my new iPod to keep me awake, and for five hours, I sang at the top of my lungs with the windows down. Somewhere along the way, my thoughts drifted to Edward and the list of questions I had for him. I figured that asking one at a time would be the best way to start.

It was just after twelve-thirty when I pulled up the long driveway leading to the house. I hadn't told anyone I was coming, and I wasn't entirely sure what the reception would be. Demetri was standing by the front steps, though, and met me at my door as soon as I put the car in park.

"Welcome home, Bella. It seems that you are just in time," he remarked with a sly smile.

Instantly, I was on my guard. "In time for what?"

"The game!" he whispered. "Emmett has been crowing all week about how the Packers are going to dominate, and it is driving me nuts. I can't go in there and put him in his place when the Steelers mop the field with them, so I need you to do it for me!"

I laughed, having had no idea that Demetri was such a football fan. "Are you going to at least get to watch the game?"

His lips turned down, and he shook his head. "Nah, not today. I'm on duty."

"I decree that you are on snack duty, then. I won't even complain when you linger to watch the game," I told him.

His answering smile was huge, and he clapped me on the shoulder. "Let me get your stuff."

I walked around to the back of the car and was hit by a petite person barreling into me.

"Bella, you're here! You really did come home!" Alice squealed while squeezing me with her deceptively strong arms.

"I told you I would," I defended.

"We have to talk. Please? I've missed you so much, and I have so much to tell you," she blurted.

I laughed lightly. "We have plenty of time. Right now-" I stopped short as I caught sight of Emmett walking down the steps. He was wearing his old Brett Favre jersey, a foam finger, and block of cheese on his head. "Emmett, what in the hell is that?" I called out.

"This?" he asked, pointing to his headpiece. "I'm a Cheesehead. Get it? They wear them at all the games!"

I just raised my eyebrows and reined in my snickers. He would just get more obnoxious if I taunted him now, so I saved it for after the game started.

Demetri brushed past us with his arms full of my belongings, and we started to follow him. Alice was already making plans for us this week, and Emmett was telling me all the stats about the game we would be watching in just a few minutes. All sound ceased, though, when the front door was flung open, and Edward was standing in the frame.

"Bella . . ." My name was more of a relieved whisper on his lips, but I heard it nonetheless.

I froze mid-step, and it took a couple of seconds for Emmett and Alice to realize that I was no longer with them. Once she did, Alice's head swung between us, like she was watching a tennis match, but neither of us was moving or speaking.

"Right, so, I'm going to go get some food, and I'll meet you in the rec room, okay?" Emmett asked, trying to relieve some of the newfound tension.

I merely nodded, my eyes not really leaving Edward's stiff form. I was accustomed to his impeccable style and always perfect appearance, so what I saw was nothing short of shocking. He looked like hell. He was wearing rumpled jeans and an old, threadbare T-shirt. Dark shadows circled his eyes, making it look like he hadn't slept in days.

He took a step towards me at the same time as I took one, and it was only seconds before he was standing in front of me, grasping my hand in his. The contact shocked me, and I recoiled slightly.

He searched my face, like a man that's been trapped in the desert does when he finds water, and his other hand tucked a stray hair behind my ear. "You're here," he breathed. "You came home."

I shifted uncomfortably and looked away from him. "I did," I answered calmly.

At the sound of my voice, his demeanor shifted, and I could see hope in his expression. "You must be tired. Why don't you go freshen up, and then we can talk?"

I winced. "Actually, I'm heading for the rec room after I change to watch the game with Emmett. We do this every Sunday during football season," I tried to explain, but I saw the light go out in his eyes.

Edward took a deep breath, nodded, and turned to go back into the house.

"Edward, wait," I called, and he paused. I swallowed, knowing that I was going to have to make the next move. "Why don't you come watch the game with us? You know, spend some time together, and then maybe we can find some time to talk later."

He turned to me again and studied my face. I could see him analyzing my expression and my willingness; I was determined to present a strong front, at the very least.

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. "I'd like that a lot."

I returned his smile and walked silently next to him up to our rooms. When I got to my door, he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but then took another step. When I opened my door, his voice filled my ears.

"Oh, and Bella?" I faced him once again. "I really like your haircut."

With that, he disappeared into his own room and left me standing baffled in the hall. I had no idea that he had ever paid any attention to the old one.

The game had already started by the time I changed and made it downstairs, but the Steelers had the ball on the thirty yard line already and were driving towards the goal. Emmett cursed his defensive line as the Steelers bested them time and time again, but finally settled for a field goal. On the next kick off, the Packers ran it back thirty yards, putting them too close to the fifty yard line for my comfort. Eventually, Aaron Rodgers threw a pick, and I pummeled Emmett with my fists in celebration.

When I turned, I saw Edward laughing at the scene in front of him. I was strangely warmed that he had bothered to come hang out with us, and that he seemed to be enjoying himself. I must have stood motionless for too long, because Edward caught me staring, and he smirked at me. Hastily, I turned back to the television with my cheeks burning.

For the rest of the first half, the Steelers and the Packers traded the ball back and forth, neither gaining much on the other. We all watched and traded barbs like there wasn't an eight hundred pound elephant in the room. Perhaps there wasn't for any one besides Edward and me; perhaps everyone else was simply enjoying being together as a family again.

Alice, Rose, and I excused ourselves to the kitchen at half time to replenish our snack supply, since Demetri was out at the front gate, and they practically dragged me along for a little "girl talk."

"So . . ." Alice insinuated.

I just raised my eyebrows at her and shook my head. There really wasn't anything to tell at this point, and I wasn't in the mood for gossiping about my own life.

"Bella," Rose said tentatively. "I'm really sorry about Tanya. I don't know what is _wrong_ with her."

Alice scoffed. "I do. She's a lying skank."

"Yeah, well, there's that," Rose conceded, and we all laughed.

For the first time in more than a week, I felt at home again. It seemed really strange that I had left to go home, when really, I was there all along.

We reloaded the bowls and took them back into the rec room in time to witness the tail end of the boys' rough-housing. A couple of chairs were knocked over, and the bowl of popcorn that we had left was upended and spilled. Edward and Emmett were wrestling between the couch and the coffee table, and I only caught snippets of Emmett's words to Edward.

"Asshole . . . keep it . . ."

"Should cas . . ."

"Oh, Emmett, let him up," Rose said exasperatedly. "The game's coming back on."

Emmett jumped up like he'd been struck and held out his hand to help Edward off the floor. I giggled at how unkempt he was again after he'd cleaned up; he just grinned and shook his head at me.

The second half was much better for me. The Steelers didn't let up at all and Roethlisberger threw for two touchdowns. The Packers were able to get in two field goals in three attempts, but it just wasn't enough to dominate. Needless to say, I used every opportunity to rub in the win, even into the next two games.

I always spent Sunday watching football, but I normally didn't spend all of my time in the rec room. Today, though, I couldn't bring myself to leave. I was having fun, and I was afraid that if I left, Edward would follow, and our conversation would have to start sooner rather than later. As day turned into night, my nerves increased, and my taunting ceased. In fact, I stopped talking altogether. The boys continued their jesting, and that, ultimately, is what ended our night in the middle of the second quarter of the late game.

"Look there, Emmett," Jasper teased. "See that tackle? That is what your boys should have done if they actually wanted to win."

Edward joined in Jasper's laughter and chimed in. "Really, Em, why did the Packers even come out after half time? They just laid down and let the Steelers move all over them!"

Emmett shot Edward a nasty glare, and it seemed like there was more behind it than just his natural inability to be take what he dished out. That was confirmed for me instantly. "You would know all about laying down and letting someone move all over you, wouldn't you?" he shot back at Edward.

Edward's face fell, and his eyes squeezed shut. I watched him take a deep breath, nod slightly, and turn to leave.

Rosalie smacked Emmett on the arm. "What was that, you idiot?" she hissed.

"What? He did it, he needs to own it. No one has talked about it all week, and my little sister is hurting because he's an ass!" Emmett declared forcefully.

"It's not for you to talk about, Emmett," I declared quietly. "Thank you for loving me and caring about me, but that doesn't mean you have to hurt others." Edward paused in the doorway, his face still turned away from the rest of us.

"But—" Emmett tried, but I interrupted him.

"Enough for now, Em. Good night," I said firmly.

Edward stepped forward again, and I followed him out of the room. We strode side by side until we hit the stairs, when Edward stopped and faced me.

"Bella, I—"

I held up my hand to silence him. "Let's go upstairs, please," I whispered, not wanting the rest of our family to listen into our conversation. They had obviously formed their own opinions while I had been away, and I had missed a shift in the family dynamic.

He nodded and resumed his course. He stopped at the door to my room, and I shook my head. It had always struck me as funny that each member of the family had their own suite of rooms to do with as we pleased. Because of our lack of contact, I had kept mine as my bedroom and it was my own personal haven. I didn't want my only sanctuary to be tainted with the memories of this discussion. Instead, we went into his room, and he shut the door behind me.

I took a minute to peruse my surroundings, as I had never been in here before. Edward's room was distinctly masculine. The color scheme was similar to mine, deep reds and golds, but everything was heavier. Instead of the spindly canopy bed in my room, Edward's bed was massive. The posts were almost a foot thick and hand carved. A large leather chair sat in the corner with a book on the arm, and a huge dresser dominated the wall beside the bathroom. There was no trace of femininity in here.

We shifted around each other uneasily, neither of us knowing what to do or where to sit. I felt like a trespasser, even though I had been invited in, and the tension swirled around us.

"Please, have a seat anywhere," Edward offered.

"Um, thanks, but I'm good," I replied nervously. He sighed and sank onto the end of the bed.

"What happened this week?" I asked cautiously.

Edward's brow furrowed, and he tilted his head. "Meaning?"

"Emmett! That little display down there. I feel like I've missed something," I answered emphatically.

"He's pissed at me, Bella! What more do you want to know? Emmett blames me for you leaving-something that is entirely my fault."

I sucked in a deep breath and bit my lip. "Alice and Rosalie don't."

He snorted. "Yes, they do. To an extent, anyway. They really don't know what to blame me for, since I really haven't said anything."

"So you haven't talked to them about it?" I asked incredulously.

"No," he said flatly. "I didn't figure they should know the sordid details of our private life before you did."

"Why don't you tell me then?" I challenged hotly, and instantly regretted it. Was I ready for this? My stomach rolled, and I swallowed heavily.

Edward stared at the floor and took several deep breaths. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

I wanted to run, but my feet were rooted to the floor. All of the questions I wrote just a couple of days before filtered through my brain, and I struggled to grasp onto just one of them.

"Did you have an affair?" I blurted out, now pacing in front of him.

I heard his sharp inhalation of breath and then silence. When I finally mustered the courage to look at him, his expression was conflicted.

"It's a yes or no question, Edward," I reminded him sharply.

"I don't know, Bella," he practically shouted.

"How can you not know?" I responded as loudly as him.

"Because calling it an affair implies that it was more than it was," he mumbled while staring at his feet.

"I—what does that even mean?" I asked with a sob.

All I could hear was the ticking of the clock on his mantel. Edward continued to stare at the floor and fidget with his hands.

The silence was suffocating me. "Edward," I said as loudly as I could through the lump in my throat. He finally looked at me with pained and reddish eyes. "Did you have sex with her?"

He shut his eyes tightly. "Yes."

With one small word, my lungs collapsed and sobs escaped. The bubble of hope that I didn't know existed burst violently, and the pain was worse than when I had first heard Tanya utter the words. Edward stood and reached out to me, but I flinched away.

"It's not what you think, Bella," he pleaded.

"Really?" I screamed hysterically. "You didn't stick your dick in that whore? You didn't push me away and reject me so you could have her?" I didn't want to hear any more, so I ran. The door between our suites was so close, and I wrenched it open, falling through it in my inability to walk. I slammed it shut behind me when I heard Edward calling my name through the haze. He was so close, I flicked the lock to keep him away.

"Bella, please," he cried through the door. "Please . . ."

I just sank to the floor and lost myself in a sea of tears.

**Well, she's home and they've had their first conversation. What did you think?**

**The Age of Edward contest is in full swing. Please visit the Community and read all the fantastic entries. Love Behind the Lines, my WWII Edward, entry, is there and just waiting to be read. There are lots of great banners on the site as well. Check them out and vote!**


	5. Chapter 5: Conversations

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I wrote this story and came up with it all on my own. I did borrow the characters from Stephenie Meyer and they still belong to her. The story, however, is mine. Don't plagiarize or repost without permission, please. **

**A/N: I'm at a loss for words. Truly, I am. I never expected this story to take off like this. Don't get me wrong—it thrills me—but I'm shocked all the same. Thank you Riss, for pre-reading, bonnysammy and Jenny Cullen for doing beta duty and making this better, and to twilight15 and swimom7 for helping when I get stuck. You guys are awesome. **

**Chapter 5: Conversations**

**BPOV**

I didn't even make it to the couch before I collapsed. I just sat on the floor and cried, with Edward on the other side of the door. For awhile, I could hear him murmuring through the wall, but I could never make out the words, and that just upset me more. I didn't know if he was trying to explain or comfort me; it really wasn't welcomed either way.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I awoke with a start, still curled up between the wall and my chair. My head was squished against a book, and my eyes were swollen from crying. Moments passed before I could really adjust to my surroundings, and I blinked hard when I saw Alice sitting cross-legged on the floor next to me.

She was still in her pajamas, which was a rare thing for her. Alice had some sort of policy about leaving the room fully dressed. "You never know who will see you, Bella," she always told me.

"What—what are you doing here?" I asked, and instantly regretted speaking. My voice sounded like a chain smoker on an air quality alert day. My throat was sore, too.

"Someone told me you needed a friend," she said quietly, almost sadly, and handed me a wet washcloth.

I rubbed it over my face and tried to stretch my muscles out. Each one of them protested, and I winced. I tried to make sense of her words, but my brain felt like mush.

"What? Who?" I mumbled semi-incoherently.

She gave me a sad smile. "Edward."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

She held out her hand instead, helped me up, and insisted that I take a hot shower.

While standing under the warm water and letting it pound my muscles into submission, I did my best not to think. I couldn't stand to cry any more, but my chest ached with the mere thought of his name. I got out as the water started to cool and found that Alice had laid out some pajamas for me to slip into, instead of clothes.

I took my time getting dressed and brushing my hair, knowing that Alice would be perfecting her look, but I was surprised when I found her sitting on my bed, still in pajamas-albeit a different pair-with a breakfast tray next to her.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Alice?" I asked as playfully as I could manage.

She giggled. "I thought we'd have some girl time. Come eat!"

Over breakfast, Alice carefully avoided the reason she'd found me on the floor, and instead, regaled me with stories from the orphanage she worked at.

"Jamie-she's this cute little five year old-insisted that she needed a purple dress the last time I was there. Purple was her favorite color, and she refused to wear anything else. So, I made her the dress. She took one look at it and scoffed—she scoffed at me!—and told me that purple was so last season, and she wouldn't be caught dead in anything that wasn't blue. Jeremiah, one of the older boys, told her to shove it, or she could go naked."

"That sounds like someone else I know." I tapped my finger against my lips and acted like I was considering the thought. "Nope. Can't imagine who that would be."

"Oh, shut up, you!" Alice said with a laugh and a shove. "We can't all pull off casual nonchalance like you can!"

I snorted. "Nonchalance. Somehow I doubt I'm giving off the nonchalance vibes today."

"No, not so much," she allowed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

It was the same internal battle that I had fought all week. Besides Angela, Alice was my best friend, and I really wanted to talk to her about it. She must have seen the indecision written on my face, because she waved her hand to catch my attention and tried to ease my mind.

"Bella, you are my best friend, and you are hurting. Talk to me, please," she begged.

"It's so hard, Alice," I whispered. "I steeled myself all week, sorting through my feelings for him and preparing myself for this conversation. I want to talk it out with him, but one word—one word—shattered every defense I'd built."

Her expression was soft and caring. "What did he say?"

"That he did it, Alice. He cheated on me . . . with her! He said that calling it an affair made it sound like more than it was, but I'm not sure if that is worse. I mean, really, he didn't want me at all, and he just fucked around with her? How exactly does that make it better?" I wailed.

Her brow furrowed again. "It doesn't. I just don't get it, Bella. I see the way he looks at you, mostly when you aren't paying attention, and none of it adds up. What else did he say?"

"Other than 'it isn't what you think,' nothing."

Alice stiffened next to me. "That no good, cheating asshole! He just sat there?"

"Alice, I didn't give him a chance to say anything else," I assured her. "I started crying and ran. I just hoped, you know, that he would say nothing really happened, and that maybe there was a kiss or something, but nothing else."

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I wish I knew how to make it better," Alice whispered. "What do you want to do?"

"Right now, I don't know. Part of me wants to hit him and leave permanently, and the other, more masochistic part of me, wants to know all the details, like it will help me move on," I confessed.

"So it's over, then?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes.

"What? I didn't say that, did I?" I thought back and couldn't figure out where she'd gotten that.

"You said you want to move on," she reminded me.

"Yeah, move on, move past _this_," I clarified.

"Okay, then," she said with renewed vigor. "Let's figure out how to do that! I don't want you to go away."

By lunchtime, Alice had me laughing. Rosalie brought us up some lunch and joined us in our pajama fest for the rest of the day. We watched cheesy movies like _Monty Python and The Holy Grail_ and _Young Frankenstein_, studiously avoiding all the romantic comedies. Both of them gave me some space to disappear into my head when I needed to, and I quickly realized that the masochistic part of me was going to win.

I insisted that Rose and Alice return to their husbands at the end of the night, with hugs and promises to come to them immediately if I needed anything. I slipped between my sheets and snuggled up with my pillow, determined to talk to Edward some more in the morning. The nerves fluttered in my stomach, but I knew it had to be done.

I woke with the dawn and jumped in the shower. I felt grimy from the day before, and I wanted a few minutes to collect my thoughts. I had no idea how to approach this, but I knew I definitely needed answers to my questions. Once I considered myself presentable, I psyched myself up and crossed to the door between our studies. After five knocks and ten minutes of waiting with no answer, I headed downstairs towards Edward's office. Over the years, I had learned that was where he spent most of his time.

When I reached the hallway, I paused, suddenly nervous. Just as I decided to wait until later, a doorway opened, and Carlisle strode out.

"Bella, good morning! How are you? I've missed you," he called cheerily. Carlisle opened his arms for a hug.

I smiled involuntarily and stepped into his embrace. As much as I loved my own father, Carlisle was a great substitute. He always made me feel loved and welcome.

"I'm doing all right, Carlisle. It is good to see you this morning. Where are you off to?"

He leaned back and winked at me. "Just off to have a cup of coffee with Esme this morning. You down here to see Edward? Maybe you can convince him to go upstairs and get some rest."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "How long has he been in his office?"

"Since yesterday morning, I think. Either that, or he got up really, really early this morning."

"I'll see what I can do," I promised.

It surprised me that Carlisle did not seem to know that there was severe discord between the two of us. Either that, or he was ignoring it and giving us space to work it out on our own. I couldn't decide which I preferred.

He winked at me and continued on his way. I sucked in a deep breath and went straight to Edward's office door.

"Come in," he answered hoarsely to my light knock.

I opened the door slowly. In front of me, Edward sat behind his desk, staring at some papers blankly. His hair seemed to have borne the brunt of his frustration, and as I watched, he ran his hand through it again.

"Dad, I promise I'll get some rest later. I just need to finish . . ." He trailed off as he raised his head and realized who I was.

"Bella?" he said with a hint of hope.

"Edward, when was the last time you ate? Showered? Slept?" I asked, concerned.

He just stared at me, searching my face for some indication of what I was doing here.

"Edward? Focus. Have you eaten in the last two days?" I asked firmly.

He shook his head to clear it. "Um, yeah, I think I had a sandwich yesterday."

I debated with myself for another moment and came to a swift conclusion. Regardless of the state of affairs, he was still my husband, and if we had any hope of reconciling, we had to take care of each other.

"Okay, why don't you go upstairs and shower? I'll bring up something for us to eat," I said.

"You'll come?" he confirmed, his voice trembling and unsure.

"Yes. Now go. You look terrible," I said with a smile to soften my harsh words.

I left and went straight to the kitchen. I didn't think I would be able to eat much, so I just grabbed a bagel for myself. Edward was getting some bacon, eggs, and toast, though. I thought he should have more, since he hadn't been eating. It also gave me a few extra minutes to gather my thoughts and for him to finish showering.

He opened his room door for me when I knocked, and I had to force my legs to move. I knew I was gaping, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Edward stood in front of me in a pair of jeans slung low on his hips and nothing else—not even socks! His chest was chiseled muscle, and his hair was wet and tousled. The drool factor was seriously in full force. He might have been a cheating bastard, but damn, he looked good.

He did catch me staring, and with a small smirk, he pulled a long sleeve, gray thermal shirt over his head. "So, what did you bring up for breakfast?" he asked to redirect my attention.

"Oh, just some eggs and stuff," I said nonchalantly as I handed him his plate.

He climbed up on to his bed and patted next to him.

"Sit with me?"

With only a moment's hesitation, I nodded and sat cross-legged across from him. His bed was seriously soft and cushy, and I could see myself sailing away to the Land of Nod as soon as I lay down on it. Then, I considered that he might have been fornicating there, and it lost its appeal.

"Where's your breakfast?" Edward asked with concern, motioning to his plate.

I held up my bagel. "I didn't think I'd be able to eat more than this," I confessed quietly.

He nodded and stared at his food, pushing it around on his plate.

"You'd better eat that," I warned him teasingly. "I didn't slave over the stove for you to make it into mush."

"You made this?" he asked, his eyebrows shooting up.

I assented, somewhat sarcastically, and he started shoving bites into his mouth. Involuntarily, I giggled, and he smirked at me. There was a bit of yolk on the corner of his mouth, and before I could control my reaction, I lifted my hand and wiped it off. As soon as I touched his face, we both realized what I had done and froze. His green eyes met mine, and his held a hint of apprehension and something else I couldn't quite place.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled and dropped my hands into my lap. I started tearing my bagel into pieces for a lack of anything better to do with my nervous energy.

Edward's hand covered mine and stilled my movements. "Don't be," he said quietly.

Silence stretched between us as neither of us knew what to say, and it was starting to become really uncomfortable. So, I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Why did you send Alice up to my room yesterday?"

"I knew you needed someone to talk to and that it couldn't be me. She loves you, and I thought it might help," he said.

"Oh. Well, it did, so, thanks," I said awkwardly.

He chuckled lightly. "You're welcome." He paused. "Bella, for what it's worth, I am sorry."

I shrugged. "That doesn't really mean much to me, Edward. First, you could be sorry for a lot of things, and some are worth more than others. I know you are sorry you got caught, but are you sorry you did it in the first place? And more than that, I don't know how much I really trust that—trust _you_—right now."

"That's perfectly fair. I _am_ sorry that I did it, and betrayed your trust. But from now on, can we just accept that we are each being honest with each other? I don't think we can fix this if we don't," he said.

"Do you want to fix it?" I asked timidly, staring at his face covertly from behind a thin curtain of hair.

He reached for my hands and stopped short of touching them, as if asking for permission. When I didn't yank them away, he took it as a yes and enveloped my small fingers in his much larger palms.

"Yes, Bella, I do. All I have really wanted for the past two years is to be a good husband to you, and that hasn't changed."

I kept him from going further. "If that is 'all you wanted,' why did you treat me so badly? Why not actually _be_ a good husband instead of just _wanting_ to be?" My anger was setting in again, and it took a lot of effort to keep it under control.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I wasn't sure if I had upset him, or if he was just hoping to avoid this. "It was hard for me, Bella. I was twenty-three when we got married, and I was instantly attracted to you. Then, I found out that you were only fifteen, and I felt like a complete ass. You were still a child, but it didn't stop me from wanting you. Every time I got close to you, and every time I learned something new about you, I wanted you more, and I was afraid that I would just . . . take you. So I stayed away."

I went to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat, and I closed my mouth. Our age difference had never occurred to me, at least to the extent that it might cause problems for one of us. My mind whirled with this new information, and my memories of all our experiences together changed in an instant. I recognized his restraint and his reluctance to get close to me for what it was.

"Why didn't you ever talk to me about it?"

He scoffed. "I tried to find the words a thousand times, but how was I supposed to do that without hurting you?"

I wanted to scream, "So having an affair and having me find out about it was supposed to hurt me less?" but I held my tongue. I tried to see things from his point of view, and I wasn't sure how I would have felt when my new husband told me I was a too much of a child for him.

As if he heard my thoughts, he added, "And I managed to accomplish that anyway."

"How many were there?" I asked in a small but clear voice, afraid of the answer.

"How many what?"

"Women, Edward. How many other women were there?" I asked more strongly this time.

"Only Tanya," he whispered, visibly deflating and curling in on himself.

I pondered that, and it made me wonder if there wasn't a little truth to her claims. "How long did it last?" Because, dear God, if it was still going on, I was going to cut a bitch. And maybe a bastard, too.

"There was nothing to last, Bella. It was isolated instances. When I said that affair was too strong a word the other night, I meant it. There were no hearts and flowers, no late night phone calls. It was just a handful of encounters over a little more than year."

"Then . . . why?" I asked.

"Loneliness, weakness, horniness, stupidity . . . I don't know," he admitted.

I thought back over Tanya's claims and wondered if a little over a year ended recently. "When was the last . . . encounter?"

He fidgeted visibly, and my concern increased immediately. I started to shift and leave, afraid to hear the answer.

"Bella, wait, please," he begged. "Christmas. The last time was just before Christmas."

I stilled and thought back.

_Alice insisted that we decorate the house from top to bottom every year, and this year was no exception. The Spencers showed up a week before the holiday, intending to spend it with those they considered extended family, and the house was so full of cheer. _

_Alice and I had gone shopping after Thanksgiving, and she helped me pick out everyone's gifts again. I had to admit I was a little nervous. The Cullens traditionally exchanged gifts on Christmas morning, so I wasn't surprised when Alice beat on my door at seven-thirty in the morning. I rushed downstairs, still in my pajamas like everyone else, and took my seat on the couch. We each passed out our gifts and opened them one by one. Alice and Jasper got me clothes, Rose had given me a gift certificate for a massage, and Esme and Carlisle got me a new digital camera. Emmett had ordered a new girlie Steelers jersey for me and was immensely proud of himself. Truthfully, I loved it, and I told him so. _

_Edward's gift was last, and it was the smallest. The black jewelry box made my heart quicken, and it almost stopped when I opened it. Inside was a beautiful, tear drop diamond necklace set in platinum, and I gasped in shock and delight. I looked at Edward, happy tears shining in my eyes, and threw my arms around his neck. _

"_Thank you!" I whispered into his ear, and despite his stiffness, he squeezed me slightly in return._

_He pulled away, carefully picked up the slender chain, and fastened it around my neck. I reveled in the way his fingers lingered on my neck. _

"Christmas," I whispered through the lump in my throat. Just before he gave me the most gorgeous necklace, he was with her. What was she thinking when she watched him loop the chain around my neck? Was his stiffness because she was watching and not because we were touching?

He tried to reclaim my hand, but I yanked backward, shaking my head. I didn't think I could take much more. A gift that I had seen as a symbol of my husband's love had become a reminder of his infidelity. I jumped off the bed and darted to the bathroom. The few bites of bagel that I had choked down came back up, and I heaved violently into Edward's toilet.

I didn't hear Edward come after me, but I felt his hands pull my hair back and the cool wash cloth on the back of my neck. I was sobbing and choking, just wishing that he would leave me in peace, not eager for him to witness this.

"Go away," I panted into the bowl.

"Not likely, Bella," he retorted as he rubbed soothing circles on my back.

We stayed like that for several minutes, until my stomach finished contracting. The washcloth slipped off my neck, and Edward's deft fingers caught it. He held me as I wiped my face off and just threw it in the sink when I was done. He lifted me easily and carried me to the oversized chair in his room. Instead of setting me down, though, he sat and curled me into his lap. I continued to sob into his shoulder, while he held me close, occasionally whispering "I'm sorry" into my hair.

It was the comfort that I had longed for last week, but it felt foreign. I wanted his touch, but having never really had it, I didn't know what each caress meant. So, instead of focusing on the details of his betrayal, I ticked through the list of my questions. When my emotions were a little more under control, I removed myself from his lap and paced the room, trying to figure out where to go from here.

"Have you talked to her?" I demanded, looking straight at him and waiting for further signs of his indiscretion.

"No. You are my priority, and talking to you about this first was more important to me than confronting my childhood friend," he answered simply, and I could see no sign of deceit.

I stopped and stared at him. "Your childhood friend. Were you intimate with her before we were married?"

He shrugged uneasily. "We were just kids that were often thrown together, so yeah. We experimented with each other, mostly for a lack of having anyone else to do so with."

At least he was being honest, even though it hurt. His mask was back in place, though occasionally, I could see how much his admissions hurt him.

"She wasn't at lack for companionship," I retorted.

"Just what are you saying?" he asked testily.

"Edward, she's a whore. You weren't the only guy she fooled around with. Hell, I saw her coming out the cottage where Jacob lives one morning," I scoffed.

"Jacob, the gardener?" he asked, puzzled.

I chuckled humorlessly and nodded. "I don't think his prospects meet with her future plans, though." A sudden thought occurred to me, and I narrowed my eyes. "Oh dear God, please tell me you were safe."

He was still reeling from my revelation about his mistress, I suppose, because he looked at me blankly. "Safe?"

"Yeah, safe. You know, a condom? Prevent disease . . . pregnancy?" I explained as though I was talking to a child.

"Oh, yeah," he mumbled.

I groaned. "That's reassuring." I pinched the bridge of my nose and focused on breathing in and out so I didn't scream at him.

"You know what?" I finally ground out. "I'm going to go. Let's just . . . talk about this later." I didn't wait for him to respond—I couldn't. I just left his room.

We didn't talk privately again for several days, but publically, he was trying. And it gave me time to come to grips with Edward's infidelity. We ate dinner together every night, although we were always accompanied by at least one other member of our family. We often passed in the halls, and I always had a fresh bouquet of flowers in the morning. A strange bouquet of tissue paper flowers was also in a vase in my room, but I couldn't figure out where they came from. Edward no longer shied away from physical contact, and I felt the affection when he would brush my knuckles with his thumb or place his hand on the small of my back as we walked together.

Saturday was our monthly family day, where the entire family spent time together. Alice and Jasper arranged board games for the afternoon and movies for the evening, and for the first time, Edward didn't skip out on the parts where we were expected to interact. He asked me to partner with him for Trivial Pursuit, and we laughed at the answers given by the others. Once, when asked about a famous transvestite from the 1990s, Emmett burst out confidently with "Rand Paul!" Esme almost fell out of her chair, and Edward clutched on to me for support because he was laughing so hard. It took almost five minutes for us to compose ourselves long enough for Rosalie to elucidate Emmett on the differences between Rand Paul, the local politico, and RuPaul, the famous transvestite.

Later, when Alice popped in the latest romantic comedy, I almost retreated to my room, but Edward sat next to me and threw his arm over my shoulder. While each of the couples on the screen danced through their love stories, Edward pulled me closer to his side. By the end of the movie, I was snuggled next to him, and I just fit there.

Alice declared that she wanted to watch some horror flick called _The Orphan,_ and I took that as my cue to leave.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked as I stood and gave Alice a good night hug.

I laughed. "I don't do horror films. They give me nightmares."

"Surely you can handle a little scary, Izzy Bizzy," Emmett teased.

"Nope!" I responded happily, popping the "p." "I'm in a great mood, and I'm not going to ruin it!"

"You're just a scaredy cat," he taunted.

"Just because I don't have a Rosalie to hold on to when I wake up screaming, it doesn't mean I'm a chicken," I shot back.

Rose laughed heartily and smacked Emmett on the arm. "She's got you pegged!"

I hugged everyone around the room, and as I moved to the door, Edward held it open.

"I'll walk you up," he said shyly.

"Oh! You don't have to do that," I whispered softly, looking up at him from underneath my lashes.

"I know." He smiled at me. "I want to."

I smiled back, and his hand once again found its way to my lower back as he ushered me towards our rooms. We walked in companionable silence until we arrived at my door.

"I had fun today," I told him seriously, and was startled when he laughed loudly. It was a sound I hadn't heard very often, but it had been in full force today. "What's so funny?"

"I feel like it's the end of our first date. 'I had fun today,'" he mimicked. "I guess my next line should be, 'Can I take you out again soon?'"

I giggled in reaction. "I think I'd like that."

"It's settled then," he said firmly. "A date next Friday? Just us?"

I agreed cautiously, because although I wanted to go, there were still so many issues and so much hurt. I knew that he understood my slight hesitation when he smiled sadly and kissed my forehead lightly.

"Good night, Bella," he said softly and stepped off toward his rooms.

"Good night," I whispered back.

I tossed and turned all night, feeling the familiar frustration coiling in my body. Edward's presence stirred my libido and left me unsatisfied when we had to part. The errant thought crept into my brain that he was only a room away, but I quashed it and screamed into my pillow instead.

On Monday afternoon, Edward called me and asked me to meet him in his office. I traipsed downstairs, but stopped when I heard voices coming from his partially open office door.

"In light of that, I don't think it can be put off any longer. We will be traveling to the Spencers' next week." Esme's voice was clear.

"Thank you for letting me know. I will, of course, handle things in your absence," Edward replied stiffly.

Without realizing I was doing so, I crept closer to the door.

"No, Edward, you don't understand. It is an official visit, and we are all going. All of us. We cannot afford to ignore this any longer."

Esme's words rang in my head. This meant that I would be expected to go, as well. I recoiled, feeling like the lamb being led to the lion's den.

"Well, right. I guess we will . . . uh, right," Edward mumbled, almost too quietly for me to hear.

"Edward, I know that things have been a little strained between you and Bella lately, but this is a business-centric visit, and I am sure that you can make things look normal for a week," Carlisle lectured.

"Normal? How exactly would you suggest we do that? We don't have a normal. And the Spencers? I hardly think that going to their house is going to make things any better." Edward's tone was bitter and angry.

"So the rumors I've heard are true?" Carlisle asked. I could see him walking back and forth through the crack.

Edward snorted. "It depends on which ones you've heard."

"Edward!" Esme cried, scandalized.

"What do you want from me, Mother? An accounting of all the ways I have fucked up my marriage? I'm fairly sure Bella would tell you the list is rather long. I wouldn't know, as she isn't exactly speaking to me about it at the moment!"

"But I thought things were better," Esme said weakly. "You all seem to be getting on so well."

I didn't hear a response from Edward, but the scraping of the chairs indicated to me that someone was planning to leave the office. I didn't want to be caught eavesdropping, but there really wasn't anywhere for me to go. I tiptoed back down the hall so it would look like I had just walked up, and I saw Esme poke her head through the door just as I turned back around.

"Oh, Bella! Are we still on for the hospital this week?" she called down the long hallway.

"Of course," I answered sweetly. "Can we go over some ideas for crafts tomorrow so I have a day to get ready?"

"I'll see you at ten," she agreed, hugging me lightly as we met mid way to Edward's office. "He's in there. Go on in." Carlisle went back to his office, and Esme headed for the stairs.

"Edward?" I called as I poked my head in.

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Come on in, and shut the door."

"You rang?" I tried to tease to lighten the atmosphere.

"I did. I had something to give you, and now it seems I have news as well." He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a sheet of paper, and handed it to me.

"What is this?" I asked, squinting at the facsimile.

He shifted uncomfortably. "My test results. When we were, well, I used protection, but last Christmas . . ."

"You had sex without protection, and this is your way of reassuring me?" I asked skeptically.

He huffed. "I didn't have sex with her last Christmas, Bella. She gave me a blow job. You want to know the details?" The fire in his eyes gave away his anger. "It was that night we had that dinner party, and you were wearing this infuriatingly small, red dress. I spent all night trying to distract myself and to stare at anything else, but it was rather impossible. Finally, I escaped to the bathroom, and Tanya followed me in. I was preparing to . . . alleviate the problem myself, but she took it upon herself to do so."

I raised my eyebrows, a little grossed out. "And you just let her?"

"Honestly, I kind of lost rational thought when her lips closed around me, Bella. I just closed my eyes and imagined it was you instead." He seemed rather mortified by his admission. With a deep breath, he continued, "Anyway, since she is apparently so free with herself, and I would never want to put you in any harm's way, I went to the doctor last week."

Now understanding what I was seeing, I perused the page and saw that all the tests read negative. "So, you are assuming that one day, we . . ." I trailed off.

"A man can dream, Bella. A man can dream."

He resumed his seat at his desk and motioned for me to take a seat. "There is one other thing I need to talk to you about."

"Your business trip?"

He nodded. "You heard, then? The whole family will be going, I think, to soften the blow."

"Wait, what? I must have missed that part."

"The Spencers manage a lot of our interests in their area. Lately, things haven't been as sound as they once were, and I've had to do a thorough examination of their bookkeeping," he said. "It seems that someone has been a little freer with our money than they should have been, although it is difficult to say who."

"Do you suspect Carmen and Eleazer?" I asked, shocked.

"Not really. Neither of them is very involved with the day to day operations, but some of their family members are, and they are ultimately responsible for whoever they put in charge," he explained.

"I see. Is there anything else I need to know? Other than we have to act like a happily married couple in front of the one person that knows it isn't true?"

Edward flinched, but didn't respond right away. When he did, his voice was strained and sad. "Are you that unhappy with me, Bella? Do you just want to call Jenks back now and have him draw up the papers?"

I slumped in my chair. "I don't know," I whispered, and then the rest of the sentence registered. "What do you mean call Jenks back?"

"He was on the phone with my mother one day while you were gone and asked if there was anything he needed to be aware of. He said that you had called for a friend of yours, and he was concerned," Edward said.

I saw red, because I thought our conversation was supposed to have been confidential. "And you heard about this how?"

"Mom called Rose, Alice, and me into her office and demanded an explanation. The other two denied it, of course, but I think Mom knew all along. I just said that I had screwed up, and that I didn't know if I could fix it," he said sadly. "I suppose I knew that all along."

We just stared at each other for a few minutes, and I bit my lip in preparation for what I wanted to know. "Do you want her, Edward? If I wasn't in the way, I mean."

"Bella, if I had wanted her, I would have married her. I didn't want her then, and I don't want her now. Why don't you believe that?" he pleaded.

"Because you had sex with her, Edward! More than once. You gave her a part of yourself that your wife doesn't even know. How am I supposed to feel?" I cried.

Edward dropped his face into his hands, and his shoulders shook slightly. "I'm sorry, Bella," he mumbled. "If you will let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you."

My mouth answered for me. "Okay." He nodded and leaned back in his chair as I took my leave.

Word spread quickly about our trip, and I was visited by both Rose and Alice the next day. After I assured them that I could handle it, they promised to keep Tanya away from us as much as possible and to run interference, if necessary. Alice helped me pack, since I had never been on such a trip and warned me that we would be leaving early Friday morning. I still had to make it through the hospital on Thursday and I was determined not to think so much about it that it affected me.

Esme and I chose popsicle stick picture frames for the kids, and I used my digital camera to capture each of their smiling faces. Several of the kids presented them to their parents before we left, and the parents' gratitude was palpable. Once again, my personal problems seemed insignificant to the battles these families faced every day, and I was more hopeful than ever that Edward and I could work through things.

I was helping Esme stash our totes of craft materials, when Edward walked out of his office door.

"Bella?"

"Oh, hey!" I answered with a smile. I was determined to try if nothing else.

His brow furrowed, and he seemed to be choosing his words. "Uh, can I have a minute of your time, please? Upstairs?"

"Sure," I said uncertainly. He seemed bothered by something and I wondered if it had anything to do with our trip. "I'll be right up."

Esme gave me a funny look, but I just shrugged and continued stuffing things in our supply closet.

I knocked softly on Edward's door before opening it in response to his call. He was pacing with a stack of papers in his hand and was clearly agitated.

"What's up?" I asked as casually as I could manage.

When he turned to look at me, I flinched at the rage I saw in his eyes. "What the fuck is this, Bella?"

"I don't know. What is that?" I asked, clueless.

"They're pictures. Of you and another man. You stand here and cry and give me shit for my mistakes, but you aren't so innocent either!" he spat.

"What? Let me see those," I demanded.

He practically threw the pictures at me, and instantly, I was staring at pictures of me at Banshee, the club I had gone to with Angela and Ben. Most of them weren't very flattering and could be easily misconstrued. Especially the one of Mike shoving his tongue down my throat.

"How did you get these? Did you have me followed?" I accused.

"No, I didn't have you followed!" he yelled. "Maybe I should have!"

"And maybe you shouldn't be jumping to conclusions!" I screamed back. "This," I slammed down a picture, "is a photo of Angela, one of my best friends, and her boyfriend, trying to make me have a good time."

I selected another from the pile. "This is a random guy named Mike that thought I was pretty enough to want to dance with. And I did—for one dance! This one is me waiting in line for the bathroom, reading a text from Emmett and deciding that it was time for me to come home to you."

I wasn't done, though, and I mustered every pang of anger in me and spewed it venomously. "And this one. Ah, it really looks like more fun than it was. Mike decided he didn't want me to leave, so he tried to make me stay forcibly. When that wasn't working, he tried with his mouth. I bit his lip so he would let me go. That's my experience with men. Any men! I might be the only woman on Earth that has been married for more than two years and is still a _virgin_!" I screamed at him.

As I described each picture in detail, Edward's anger visibly melted, and he stepped backwards. By the time I was finished, he was obviously shaken.

"Bella, God, are you okay? I had no idea. I'm sorry," he said.

"Fuck you. I'm tired of hearing you say you're sorry. You ask for trust, you ask me to try, but what do you do? Ignore me and accuse me of cheating on you. You would have known what had happened if you hadn't had your head so far up your ass to see that I needed you. I fucking needed you these last two years. I needed you that night, but you couldn't be bothered."

"You asked me not to. You asked me to leave you alone. What was I supposed to do?" Edward cried in exasperation.

"You weren't supposed to ignore me. You were supposed to come after me and make me listen. Hell, you were supposed to do that two years ago so I never would have had to venture into a club on my own!" I yelled, still high on my anger.

"Jesus Christ! I can't do anything right! I do what you ask me to, and that isn't good enough. What do you want from me, Bella?" he roared.

Once more, my mouth betrayed me, and the words poured out before I could stop them. "I don't want to be shut out any more. I don't want to be made to feel like I am a silly little girl. I want what Alice and Jasper have. I just want you to love me, Edward!"

And then, realizing what I'd said, I ran. Again.

**So, now you know part of the story. Do you still hate him as much and want to gouge out his eyes? Leave me some love in a review and let me know your thoughts. **


	6. Chapter 6: Firsts

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable things belong to their respective owners. This story, however, is mine. Please do not repost, translate or otherwise use it without my permission. **

**A/N: So . . . this is the start of the long anticipated Spencer weekend. I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Thank you to Riss usc-mam for pre-reading and Jenny Cullen for betaing this for me. Send your thoughts out to bonnysammy, who is hosting family through Halloween. **

**Chapter 6: Firsts**

**BPOV**

Edward didn't come get me that night. In fact, I didn't see him until we all met in the front hallway with our luggage the next morning. It didn't look like either of us had gotten much sleep, and I wondered if I would be able to sleep all weekend, not knowing if he was out there somewhere with _her. _

The plane flight was only about three hours, and I managed to fend off Rosalie's and Alice's incessant questions so that I could finish my book. Talking about our screaming match wasn't high on my list, and it didn't appear to be high on Edward's, either, as he studiously avoided me.

Carmen and Eleazar met us at the private airport with two cars. The men were going in one to discuss business, and Carmen was taking the women to a posh lunch in the other. My relief at Tanya's absence was short-lived, because Carmen relayed that she was meeting us at the restaurant. Lovely. As if this trip couldn't get more uncomfortable for me.

Alice and Rose flanked me like bodyguards as we walked into the bistro. There were three seats on each side of the table, and Rosalie maneuvered things so that I was as far from Tanya as possible. They put me across from Esme, and she patted my hand soothingly, as if she knew this wasn't easy for me. Then again, I guessed she did know.

Rosalie caught up with Tanya and diverted her attention while I listened to Alice, Esme, and Carmen talk about the latest fashion trends. Carmen expressed her distaste for the revealing clothing currently available in stores and said that she thought it made the younger generation look whorish. I glanced down at Tanya's attire and almost choked on my water.

Unfortunately, this made me more noticeable, and Tanya turned her smug face to me.

"Oh, Bella! I forgot you were down there! We don't get to chat nearly enough. How is school? This is your senior year, right?" Her tone was sugary sweet and patronizing. I recognized it as the way she had always talked to me, as if I was beneath her.

"School is great. I graduated a year ago, and I've actually been taking college classes when I'm not working with Esme," I returned as politely as I could manage. "What are you doing these days?" I actually almost said "who" but I caught myself just in time.

Alice clasped my hand underneath the table and squeezed tightly. Whether she was trying to restrain me or to rein in her own nerves for the direction of this conversation, I wasn't sure.

"I've been working with my parents and preparing to take over some of the management, actually," she replied smugly. I was instantly thrown back to Edward's concern that someone was taking money, and I wondered if it was her.

I smiled and took a bite of my chicken sandwich to keep the words from coming out of my mouth. Alice snorted quietly and started eating her salad quickly. Tanya then suggested that we all visit some local boutiques after lunch, since we were not expecting the men to be done until dinnertime, and that started an excited conversation between Esme, Carmen, Tanya and Alice. It struck me as odd that Tanya wasn't involved in the men's meeting, if she was really taking over, but then I considered that I didn't want her around Edward and decided that I was kind of relieved.

Really, it sounded like the day from hell to me. I hated shopping anyway, but to have to shop with _her_ was like my own personal nightmare. When no one was looking, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text.

_**I hate you. You get to work while I have to go shopping with ALL the women. **_

It wasn't long before I got a response, and I escaped to the bathroom to read it.

_**It's not my fault you got in the wrong car. Buy yourself something pretty, okay?**_

That wasn't the reaction I was expecting at all, and I was momentarily thrown off kilter. Just what was he referring to? Was he thinking of a nice dress or something more . . . intimate?

I decided to be playful and torture him a little bit. _**Shall I send you pictures? ;)**_

_**Hmmm. Sure. I liked that blue dress on you. **_

I just stared at my phone, having no idea how to respond to that. The only blue dress I could think of was the one I wore to dinner with Ben and Angela. Had he inspected the pictures that closely to be able to tell he liked my clothes? Did he really notice things like that about me?

I quickly washed my hands and had turned to leave the bathroom, when the door swung open. Alice was in front with a mixed expression; it was part annoyance, part fury, and part amusement. Rosalie seemed like she was still trying to run interference, and Tanya acted like she owned the place.

"There you are!" she called in her fake voice. "Not feeling well?"

"I'm fine, thanks. Just taking advantage of the privacy to chat with my husband, that's all," I said dismissively with a smile. "I'm sorry I took so long." My words hit their mark, and her eyes narrowed maliciously.

"Well, you weren't gone that long. He must be really busy with our families' businesses," she said snidely.

"Oh, I'm sure he is," I replied with a secret smile as I walked out the door.

When I got back to the table, Carmen and Esme were getting ready to leave; Esme smiled warmly at me. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. The girls are just finishing up. Where are we heading?" I was trying to act like I was interested.

"There's a row of boutiques not far from here, and I thought we could just walk over there. They have pretty much anything you could want," Carmen informed me. "There they are! Come on, girls, let's go! We only have five hours."

Five hours. Those crazy women must have dragged me into at least twelve different shops, and most of the time, I couldn't tell the difference in what they were selling. I did find a couple of cute pairs of jeans, a handful of shirts, and some new underwear. I even made Alice take a picture of me in one of the lingerie sets, but I did refrain from sending it. Tanya must have tried on half of each store and was very vocal on her thoughts about each item. Mostly, nothing was good enough, but she bought it anyway.

Dinner was ready when we arrived at their . . . house a little after seven. Really, I wasn't sure if house was even the right word. The Cullen estate was huge, but four families lived there. There were only three people living in this place, now that Irina, Tanya's sister, had moved out. It had excess written all over it.

The long dining table had been condensed to seat all eleven of us closer together, and there was still more room than was strictly necessary. Edward did away with the space between us, though, when he scooted his chair close to me. He squeezed my hand and gave me a tight smile. I could tell he was exhausted and frustrated by the bags under his eyes and tousle of his hair. Little by little, I was learning to interpret his facial expressions, and I took a bit of pride in that.

We ate our four course meal slowly, and by the time the steak was served, I was struggling to eat it. The salad and broccoli cheese soup were more than enough for my now underfed stomach. I hadn't eaten much in the last couple of weeks, and there wasn't much room in my stomach. In the end, I just ate what I could and listened to all the conversations around me. It was clear that they were all good friends. The kids all reminisced about the fun that they'd had as children, and the parents talked about previous visits and the fun they'd had. They even made plans to play cards after dinner.

I was relieved when Carmen finally stood at almost ten o'clock and offered to show us to our rooms. Emmett was boasting about the ass-kicking he was going to deliver to Jasper in pool, when Tanya declared that it should be boys against girls. I just shook my head at Alice's enthusiasm when she performed her "challenge dance."

The area of the house that Carmen took us to was really a house of its own. There was a lounge area with couches and a television at one end, and four suites lining the hallway. One by one, each couple broke off as Carmen pointed us to our appointed rooms. Edward and I were at the far end.

The bedroom was enormous and appointed much like mine at home. I looked around the room, and my eyes fell on the single bed in the room. I wrapped my arms around my torso and bit my lip. Despite our friendly exchange via text message and our show of closeness at dinner, there was no question that our relationship was strained. The trip here had been full of tension and unease. Now that we were alone, it was even worse.

"Okay, well, it's late, and I'm sure that you need your rest. I'll be out in the great room," Edward said as he headed for the door.

"Edward?" I said tentatively.

He stopped and turned back towards me. "Yes, Bella?" The tension was thick in his voice.

"Are you going to play pool?" I asked.

"No, I'm really tired, and I'm not up for fake pleasantries right now," he answered wearily.

"Then, where are you going?"

"The couch, Bella. I'm going to the couch," he said flatly.

"No, you're not," I replied just as flatly.

"I don't think I'm going to fit on the settee, Bell," he replied wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

I giggled at the mental picture his words provided. "No, I don't think you are. I'm not sure that one of your legs would fit on there." I paused. "I am sure that we can both fit in this very large bed the Spencers have provided."

He just stared at me. Never, in our entire marriage, had we shared a bed. "Not that I mind, but why?" he asked curiously.

I deliberated a moment before continuing. "Here's the thing, Edward. There's only one bed, and we are married, no matter how much you hate that. I cannot have you sleeping on the couch while we are on an official visit, and especially not here."

His brow furrowed, and he swallowed heavily. Twice he opened his mouth to speak, and twice, he shut it without saying a word. In the end, he just went over to his suitcase and retrieved his pajamas. Only when he closed the door to the bathroom did I jump into action. I donned my shorts and T-shirt and sat on the bed, waiting for him to come out. Once he did, I darted into the bathroom and had to take a deep breath as soon as I closed the door.

My husband was hot, and despite my heartache, denying my attraction to him right now was pointless. His cotton, plaid pajama pants sat low on his hips, and his T-shirt hugged his chest, showing all of the muscles there. I just didn't know what to do about it.

Edward was already under the covers when I came out. I lay down stiffly next to him, partly because I was still trying to curb the urge to jump him, and partly because it was strange being in bed with another person.

"Please tell me you were never with her in this bed," I whispered.

"No," he whispered back. "Never." Suddenly, he crossed the invisible barrier between us and wrapped his arms around me.

"I am so sorry. Truly, I am. You are the last person I ever wanted to hurt and the only one that ever mattered. I don't hate being married to you and I'm sorry that we cannot go anywhere without you wondering if I am going to be faithful. I can promise you that I will never stray again. Ever."

"Even if I never forgive you?" I whispered back thickly. The tears I couldn't hide were falling into the pillow.

"Even then. I'll be honest, I'm not really looking forward to the celibate life forever, but if that is what I have to do to prove to you that I am worthy of you, that is what I will do," he promised.

"That doesn't make any sense, Edward. I've never been good enough for you. Hell, even on our wedding night, you walked away without another thought!" I cried.

He huffed into my hair and then took a deep breath. "No, Bella, that's not quite how I remember it. I recall seeing you walk down the aisle and being absolutely blown away. I couldn't wait for the wedding to be over, until James Windemere told me that you were only fifteen. God, Bella, I was wrecked. I was twenty-three years old and had just married this gorgeous woman that was still a child." I bristled beside him at his reference. "You were almost eight years younger than me, Bella, and that scared the piss out of me. I tried to rationalize everything in my mind for hours. Before I knew it, we were spirited away to the traditional marriage night suite, and when I looked into your eyes, all I saw was your nervousness and fear. I couldn't take away your innocence like that. I couldn't hurt you like that. So I ran. I found Emmett, and I drowned my sorrows. You didn't see me the next day, because I was still too hung over to get out of bed. I got quite good at avoiding you, because every time I saw you, my body responded, and I was unable to reconcile my desires for you with your age.

"You have no idea how much I was looking forward to your birthday. I had an entire weekend planned for just the two of us. I'm just the idiot who planned it all for the wrong day, and no one bothered to correct me. I guess they all figured I knew."

"But you were with _her _that day," I sobbed, still fearing that it was true.

"_No, I wasn't_. I haven't been anywhere near _that_ since Christmas. She tried, but I shot her down. Knowing her, that is probably why she retaliated by saying all of that in front of you. I will never be able to express how sorry I am for what I've done."

"Would you have ever told me? If I hadn't found out the way I did?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "That's another one of those things that I'm not sure I would ever figure out how to say. I did plan on it. Would you have ever told me about the guy at the club?"

"Maybe. There really wasn't anything to tell. We danced, I left, he tried to stop me, and I bit him." I shrugged lightly. "I mean, did he actually think I'd like to be kissed that way?"

Edward's chuckles vibrated through my back. "Apparently, he did. Some women find it passionate."

"Edward, he tried to eat my face. I hardly call that passionate."

His laughter rocked me harder, and his arms tightened around me. "So, no kissing with tongue then?" The mirth in his voice was hard to miss.

"I didn't say that," I mumbled, my tear-streaked face burning with embarrassment. I curled into myself as I usually did when I wanted to hide.

"Hey," he whispered into my ear, "what is it?" His laughter had died down, and he now sounded concerned.

"Nothing," I mumbled.

Edward's strong arms flipped me around, and he cupped my face in one of his hands while holding on to my back with the other. "Bella, what is it?" he asked more firmly.

I was having a hard time thinking pressed so closely to his body. When he laughed against me, I could feel certain . . . parts . . . of him against me, and my body heated up. I didn't know what to do with these feelings! Especially when I was supposed to be mad at him!

"Bella?" he said more gently this time. His thumbs swept across my cheeks and spread the remains of the moisture from my tears. "Baby, talk to me, please."

I tore my gaze from his, and my eyes landed on his lips. He was still holding my face, and I couldn't twist it away. He was so close to me, and I didn't know how to answer.

My mouth once again had other ideas. "I don't know how to do this," I confessed in a rush.

Edward leaned back slightly and furrowed his brow at me. He was still holding me tightly, and it didn't seem like he was going to be letting me go anytime soon.

"Do what?"

"This!" I motioned between us with my hands, and the verbal vomit started. "I'm supposed to be mad at you. But . . . then . . . there's you . . . and there's me . . . I don't know anything."

"Oh, baby," he whispered and pulled me to his chest. "We'll figure it out together."

We held each other for a long time, and my emotions settled around me. Oddly enough, the turmoil of the last few weeks seemed remote here in Edward's arms, and it was like the world had righted itself. The feeling made no sense, but I relished the respite.

Edward's soft voice broke the stillness of the night, and I startled as I had been pondering whether he was asleep. "Bella? Are you awake?"

I nodded, not wanting to disturb my own peace.

"Can we talk for a few more minutes?" he asked hesitantly.

"Sure. What about?" I asked as I lifted my head off his chest.

His expression was troubled and sad. "I know you said earlier that you are still mad, and you have every right to be. No matter how much I want your forgiveness, I don't know that I deserve it. But . . . do we still have a chance?"

The many different parts of me warred with each other. The part that was still hurt wanted to claw his eyes out, my heart wanted to forgive him and just move on, my brain wanted more time, and my girly bits wanted . . . well, they wanted something else entirely.

"I said that I was supposed to be mad," I clarified, "but . . . I'm not. I'm really hurt for a lot of reasons. I know that I wouldn't have liked it when you told me that I was too young, but it would have been nice to be given the chance to get to know you and to have something to look forward to as I got older. And I know it would have hurt less than feeling rejected and betrayed does."

Edward hugged me tightly in a silent apology as I continued. "Part of me does understand, though. Our age difference was never a factor for me, and it never occurred to me that it would be for you. I never got it, and I just felt like you didn't like or want me."

"It was never that I didn't want you. Please believe that," he breathed into my hair.

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I giggled. Physically, I was positive that he wanted me, and the proof of that was poking me in the thigh. I wiggled a little and said, "Oh, I know."

"Oh God!" he hissed. He tried to shift his hips away from mine, but our tangled position made that difficult. We ended up even more entangled in the sheets and each other, but we were both laughing, and my heart was warmed.

Finally, we extracted ourselves, and I settled back into his side automatically. His arms snaked around me, and he sighed happily.

"Thanks for not making me sleep on the couch."

"Would you have?" I asked curiously. Surely in a house with this many rooms, he would have found an extra bed.

"No, probably not," he conceded. "I probably would have crept back in here and slept on the floor. There was no way I was putting myself in that position all night. I might have been molested in my sleep." His voice was carefully teasing, and I didn't know how I felt about that, since I suspected that it might not be that much of a joke.

"I'm glad you didn't insist on leaving," I whispered.

He hugged me to him again and hummed in response. We were quiet for a few more minutes, and I felt his chest rumble underneath my head before the sound registered in my ears.

"Bella?"

I giggled a little and turned my face up to his with an amused smirk. "Yes, dear?" I asked playfully.

Even in the dim light, I could see that he was a little nervous, and I could feel his heartbeat racing underneath my palm.

"May I . . . may I kiss you good night?"

I just stared at him, not believing what I was hearing. He looked so earnest, though, I concluded that I must have heard him right. Then, it registered what he was asking for and my thoughts raced. Did I want to go there? Could I? Being here in _her_ house made me want to mark him, claim him as mine.

My silence must have lasted too long, because he shifted uneasily and mumbled something while trying to turn away from me slightly. I couldn't let that happen.

"Edward!" I whispered furiously to get his attention.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I know it's . . ."

I cut him off by pressing my fingers to his lips. "Yes."

"Yes?" he repeated in disbelief.

"Yes," I confirmed, and I was giddy with anticipation.

Edward's tongue flicked out and wet his lips, his eyes never leaving mine. The arm that was underneath my neck twisted slightly so that his hand was holding the back of my head, and he was leaning—hovering—over me. My heart was pounding, and I swore that he could hear it echoing around the room. Ever so slowly, his face inched closer to mine, and his breath washed over my face.

And then, our lips met. His were firm, but soft, and it took every ounce of restraint that I had not to shout from the rooftops that I had found heaven. I eagerly pressed my mouth into his and wound my fingers in his hair. I had wanted to touch it since the day we met, and now I was being given the opportunity. Edward groaned and pulled me in closer, if that were possible, before suddenly jerking backward.

I searched his face for an answer, but his eyes were closed tightly, and he was panting heavily. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked in a small voice. With the exception of the kiss on our wedding day and Mike's face-eating expedition, I had no experience with it.

He groaned again, but this time it sounded like he was in pain. "No, Bella, not at all. You did everything right. I just . . . I need a minute, all right?"

I was trying to stop the feelings of rejection from taking over, but they were welling up and manifesting as tears. Edward's arm was still gripping me, and I tried to wriggle away in my shame.

"Please don't," he begged softly, and his voice was rough and tense.

"Edward, please, let me go!" I cried. The emotion was thick in my voice, no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

"Baby, please stop moving," he begged.

"I can't stay here," I whimpered. "You don't want . . ."

Edward grabbed my hand and placed it firmly on top of his erection. "Don't tell me what I don't want, Bella. What I didn't want to do was stop kissing you, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from trying to take things further, and I don't think we're ready for that, do you?"

I was mesmerized and barely heard what he was saying. Underneath my palm was like the Holy Grail of Penises. Even though I had never felt one before, Alice and Rose had made me watch enough movies to know the difference. Even through his pants, I could tell that it was long and thick and calling my name. My hand stroked lightly on its own volition, and Edward tensed up next to me. Like I had been burned, I yanked my hand backwards and tried to curl into a ball to hide my mortification.

"Stop hiding, Bella," Edward ordered wearily. "Just . . . give me a minute, please. Tell me about your day?"

"Okay," I relented slowly. "We went to lunch at a little bistro downtown, and then they dragged me shopping."

"You told me that in text message," he laughed. "Did you find anything you liked?"

"Oh! I did. I got some jeans and stuff. And some pretty lingerie in this one shop. It's blue," I said as if I were discussing the weather.

He groaned. "Not helping, Bella. You didn't send pictures like you said you would."

"No, I didn't. I had Alice take one, but . . ." I just shrugged.

"Hmm. I might be grateful for that right now," he said with a chuckle. "How was the rest of it?"

I shrugged again. "Carmen is really nice, and there were a lot of neat little shops."

"What did she do?" he asked flatly.

I laughed slightly. "_She_ really likes to try on clothes and buy them, even though she claims to not like them. Did you know that she is helping to manage the family businesses now? She made sure to tell me that. Luckily, Rosalie kept her attention most of the day."

He shook his head. "Hmm, that's really interesting. I'm sorry if she was rude to you, though."

"How was your day?" I asked to change the subject. I didn't want to think any more about Tanya than I already had to.

"There is definitely something amiss. I'm going to have to go through a few more accounts tomorrow. Roll over, baby," he said.

I did, and he snuggled up behind me. "Mmm. I like holding you like this," he whispered into my ear.

"Me, too," I confessed and wiggled a little closer to him.

He chuckled, and I felt the vibration through my entire body. "Good night, Bella."

I woke when the first streams of sunlight illuminated the room. At first, disorientation ruled, and I couldn't figure out where I was. Then, the events of last night flooded my brain, and I tried to sit up in shock. An arm around my waist held me down, though, and tightened in response to my movement. Edward was wrapped around me, one arm over my waist, one underneath my head, and his legs tangled with mine.

The urge to get up and run to the bathroom was more than I could stand, despite my desire to stay right where I was, and I disentangled myself from his arms.

"Where are you going?" Edward mumbled sleepily without opening his eyes.

"Just to the bathroom," I whispered and then ran off.

I took a couple of extra minutes in the bathroom, just trying to wrap my brain around the best sleep I'd ever had and the man that awaited me on the other side of the door. I scrutinized myself in the mirror, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what he saw in me. I wasn't well-endowed, and I was a little on the skinny side now. I was short, with plain brown eyes and mousy brown hair that usually lay flat on my head. I ran my hands over my face and shook my head. I was going to need every bit of confidence I could muster to make it through this weekend.

When I opened the bathroom, intending on finding my clothes and then the kitchen, Edward shifted in the bed and opened his eyes blearily.

"What time is it?" his scratchy voice said.

I checked the clock on the nightstand behind him. "It's a little after seven," I answered quietly.

"Mmm, too early. Come back to bed, Bella." He shifted and lifted the covers in a gesture for me to get under them.

I hesitated for one moment, before the chill of the room drove me back into his arms.

"Hmm. Much better," he murmured as he snuggled back up to me. "We have a couple more hours before they will expect us at breakfast."

I settled into his arms and rested my head on the pillow, sleepiness making my eyelids heavy once more. Before I fell asleep, it occurred to me that something had shifted between us the night before.

Knocking woke us both when the sun was higher and the room was brighter. Alice's voice on the other side of the door alerted us that we were expected at breakfast shortly.

"I don't want to get up," Edward pouted. "I'm perfectly happy right here."

I laughed. "I don't think we can get away with hiding here all day. No matter how comfortable we are, someone will come find us."

"So," he said teasingly, "you're comfortable?"

I laughed again and slapped his arm. "Yes, you ass, I'm comfortable. Now get up."

"Damn, woman!" He laughed with me.

He got out of bed, and I shamelessly ogled him again in his flimsy pajama pants. By the time he shut the bathroom door, the heat between my legs had once again intensified. How dare he look so . . . yummy, ever?

As his shower started, I gathered my clothes for the day and got my own toiletries out of my bag. When I raised up from my suitcase on the floor, I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me. I whipped around to see Edward behind me, with his towel slung low on his waist and nothing else on. I tried to find words, but failed completely and just stood there with my mouth open.

He smirked at me and inclined his head to the bathroom. "I saved you some hot water."

"Oh, okay," I eked out and then hurried past him.

I showered quickly and got ready in the bathroom. Once I was satisfied that I was as pretty as I was going to get today, I stepped back in the room. I still wasn't sure how to get to the dining room, but I was sure that Alice would have her phone on her. Much to my surprise, Edward was sitting on the bed waiting for me.

"You're still here?" I asked, shocked.

"Of course." He sounded insulted. "I wasn't going downstairs without you."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what else to say.

He reached out, took my hand, and pulled me closer. "I know this trip has been difficult for you. You will never know how sorry I am for my actions, and I already promised that I would spend the rest of my life making it up to you. If escorting you to breakfast and not leaving you to fend for yourself will help, I will wait all day."

"Thank you," I said softly.

"You're welcome," he stated firmly. Edward stood and towered over me with a small smile on his lips. Before I could react, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine again for a quick kiss. "Good morning."

"A much better morning now," I agreed.

Edward just laughed and tugged me toward the door.

Apparently, breakfast was a more casual affair than I was expecting. All of the offerings were in the kitchen, and everyone brought their plates to eat at the table. We weren't late. In fact, the rest of the younger Cullens were just filling their plates with a variety of foods. A plate of bacon and sausage sat warming near the stove, and a woman I didn't know was preparing eggs to order. Fresh fruit, muffins, bagels, biscuits, and toast filled the counter top, and I joined the fracas.

As I got a scrambled egg, I heard a voice behind me that made me want to claw its owner's eyes out.

"Good morning, Edward," Tanya purred. "We missed you in the game room last night. Since you didn't join us, the teams were uneven."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her run her hand over Edward's shoulder, and I stiffened even more.

"It would have been uneven no matter what, Tanya. If I had come down, Bella would have been with me," Edward answered politely, but stiffly.

"Oh," she said, and I could swear that she was rolling her eyes. "Well, you've just never missed our pool tournaments before, and I thought she was tired and going to bed."

My egg was now on my plate, and I couldn't decide whether to turn around or not. She was between me and the exit, so there was nowhere for me to go. I scooted over to the counter where the muffins were and placed one on my plate, while waiting for this exchange to end.

Edward reached behind him, wrapped his arm around my waist, and kissed the side of my head. "We did go to bed."

He turned me and led me with his hand on the small of my back through the throng of his family in the kitchen, all watching with wide eyes.

**So, the first day of the trip has passed. Is it all going down like you thought it would?**


	7. Chapter 7: One Step Back

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable material is the property of the respective owners. I own this plot. I made it up and I get to do with it what I want. Please respect that. **

**A/N: I am so sorry this chapter is late. Between time constraints and computer failures, it just didn't make the midnight deadline. That said, you get it now. Thank you to Riss usc-mam for pre-reading, and Jenny Cullen for doing beta duty. You guys rock! I also want to thank twilight15 for her pimpage of this story. Without you, I doubt it would have the incredible following that it does. **

**Chapter 7: One Step Back**

**BPOV**

Once we were seated at the table, Edward apologized quietly for potentially giving everyone in the kitchen the wrong idea. He said that he thought it might get Tanya to back off a little, and I hoped that he was right. In truth, I didn't mind his insinuation all that much, since what happened in our bedroom was really no one's business, and the malicious part of me wanted it shoved in _her _face.

As soon as we were all done eating, Carlisle, Edward, and Eleazar rose to go back to the office, and the rest of us made plans for the day.

Edward gave me a concerned look and squeezed my hand. "Text me if you need me, okay?" he mouthed.

I nodded, knowing that I wouldn't bother him if his former lover picked on me, and watched him leave with his father. I suspected that he wouldn't have an easy day, either.

Esme insisted that Carmen give me a tour of the house and grounds. I got the feeling that she was trying to keep Tanya and me apart, and whatever her motivation, I was grateful. I didn't feel like hearing any more of her spite this morning. I was more of a spectator than an active participant in our walk, though, as Carmen explained to Esme the different interior decorating styles she had used on each room. She had redecorated recently and was eager to show off her work. Compared to the simplicity I grew up with and the understated elegance of the Cullens' home, the Spencer house was almost gaudy. I was reminded of the old French aristocracy's distaste for the bourgeoisie, and the latter's penchant for flaunting their wealth beyond what was necessary.

Nevertheless, Carmen was proud of her home, and she did have a right to be. She had combined all of the elements to create a whole that meshed seamlessly together. Italian marble inlays, natural stone tiles, and local pine hardwood flooring were mixed with thick Persian carpets, intricate brocades, and plush cottons to create a visual eye feast in every room. Each room or suite was designed around a theme or one focal piece, and she had blended all of the other items around it. The rich colors and textures belied her Spanish heritage, and I wondered briefly where Tanya's genes actually came from. There was no trace of Carmen's olive complexion or Eleazer's dark features in her blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty.

The other girls had retreated to the indoor swimming pool near the gardens, and Carmen encouraged me to join them while she got lunch together. Reluctantly, I donned my swimsuit and followed the sounds of splashing and laughter. Alice was floating on an inflatable blue raft, while Rose and Tanya wrestled in the water. I felt a pang of sorrow and sympathy for my sister-in-law while I watched her from a distance. Just as Edward had explained that he and Tanya had been thrown together often as children, Rosalie had developed a true friendship with her over the years. Rose was the one that she'd confessed her feelings for Edward to, and in hindsight, I wondered if that was because Rose was the closest thing to a best friend that she had.

"Come on in, Bella!" Alice called. "The water's warm."

"Says the woman that is floating on top of it and isn't wet at all," I retorted with a laugh.

"Ha, ha! This bathing suit is a work of art. I don't want to get it wet," she said primly.

I shot a look at Rose and Tanya, and they both matched my grin. I diverted Alice's attention by taking off my cover-up and exposing the new swim suit she bought me at the beginning of the summer.

"See, Bella," she said knowingly. "I told you that the black would look good against your skin! It even leaves something to the imag—"

Alice was abruptly cut off when Rose and Tanya flipped her raft and dunked her into the water. We all laughed at the kittenish fury on her face when she resurfaced, spluttering and shaking the water from her hair.

"Ooh! That was . . . argh! I can't believe you all did that to me!" she yelled, facing Rosalie and Tanya.

"So, now tell me . . . Is the water as warm as you said earlier?" I called and drew her attention back to me.

"You!" she said in mock irritation. "You planned this over my head. I can't believe it! I'm going to get you!"

I dove in as she swam to the ladder so she couldn't push me in, but she ambushed me as soon as I came up and dunked me again. The whole scenario had an ice-breaking effect, and we all joked around with each other as if there were no complicating factors dividing us. I was determined to play nice, if for no other reason than to make life a little easier on Alice and Rose. They had worked hard to keep _her_ occupied.

Carmen and Esme brought in sandwiches and joined us in the pool. Emmett and Jasper came in after a while and drenched us all with their "masculine displays of dominance," as Carmen called it. It wasn't until then, when everyone else's attention was diverted on the two grown children in the pool, that Tanya started in on me.

"You know, Bella, we have all been friends for a really long time. These nighttime gatherings are a tradition in our family. It really wasn't fair of you to keep Edward from coming last night, just because you have issues with our relationship," she said quietly, but haughtily.

Instantly, I bristled. "I didn't keep him from coming, as you so eloquently put it. He made that choice all on his own."

"Oh, and I'm sure that you had nothing to do with it," she retorted nastily. "What kind of ultimatums do you have him held under? Stay away from her, or I'll tell your family?"

I thought back to all of our conversations for traces of an ultimatum like she'd suggested, though I knew there wasn't one. I had offered to leave if it was what he wanted, and he had rejected that suggestion out of hand.

"No ultimatums, though I am sure it disappoints you to hear that. Edward's actions are all his own. As for telling his family, you did that," I reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Somehow I doubt that. Edward has made his desires quite clear," she said smugly.

I sighed and shook my head. She was determined to undermine anything we tried to repair, and really, I wasn't sure I blamed her. I was fighting for him, and I didn't know what I was missing. She did. Before I could come up with an appropriate retort, Emmett swam over and tugged me away from the wall.

"Come on, Izzy B," he said loudly. "We're playing chicken, and I need a partner."

"Izzy B? Really, Em? You make me sound like a rapper!" I laughed. "And what if I don't want to?"

"No choice. You're up!" As he lowered himself into the water so I could climb on, I stilled him.

"Really, Em, what if I don't want to?" I asked in a low voice.

He huffed. "Bella, Rose is sitting out," he said like he was talking to a small child. "The only other girl here is Tanya, and there is no way I am letting that chick open her legs around any part of my body. Now get on my shoulders before I throw you in the deep end!"

I chuckled and climbed onto his broad shoulders. Alice was perched on Jasper's shoulders and was rubbing her hands eagerly, with a maniacal gleam in her eye.

"You are going down!" she taunted.

"Not a chance!" I shot back, effectively picking up the gauntlet.

Emmett lumbered forward, and Alice and I locked hands, twisting and pulling at each other. I locked my arms under her shoulders, and Emmett backed up fast, yanking Alice into the water.

While Emmett shouted in celebration, Alice determinedly swam back over to Jasper and climbed on his shoulders.

"Rematch," she demanded.

"All right, little sis," Emmett agreed. "You ready, Bells?"

I bumped his fist, and we reengaged. This time, Alice was ready for me, and it took much longer for either one of us to gain advantage. Rosalie was cheering for us, and Tanya was sitting next to her on the deck, looking disgruntled. Carmen and Esme were just laughing at our antics. Jasper and Alice feinted left, but Emmett caught it and blocked them. Alice was scrabbling for my hair, trying to use any advantage she could get, when I was distracted by movement near the edge of the pool.

Carlisle, Eleazer, and Edward had returned. Edward looked tired, but he gave me a smile. I could feel his eyes on me, and instead of watching Alice like I should have been, I kept sneaking glances at Edward. He was sitting on the opposite end of the row from Tanya, but he kept shooting glances in her direction. His eyes gave nothing away, and I didn't know what that meant for me. She caught him a few times and gave him a flirty smile, but his own face remained grim.

While I was busy in my head trying to figure out what to do, Alice got the upper hand and ripped me from Emmett's shoulders. I hit the water with a huge splash and a cheer from the sidelines. Emmett dragged me back up and patted my back. I laughed with the rest of them and headed over to the side of the pool.

"Why don't you all go get cleaned up for dinner?" Carmen suggested. "It should be ready in about fifteen minutes."

When I climbed out, I was met by Edward, holding a huge, fluffy towel for me. He gave me a small smile and a wink as he wrapped it around my body and walked with me to the door.

"See you at dinner?" I asked, before I stepped into the chilly, air-conditioned house.

"Well, yes, but I'm coming upstairs with you. If that's okay, I mean," he clarified.

"Sure." I shrugged and pushed open the door.

The cooled air hit my skin, and I yelped, instantly running toward the warmth my clothes would afford. My feet slapped against the floor, and Edward chased after me, laughing, as I ran to the opposite end of the estate. His laughter was infectious, and I was breathless when we arrived at our door.

"What are you doing?" he said through his pants.

"Getting to clothes!" I squealed. "It's freaking cold in here!"

I wrenched open the door and padded inside as quickly as I could. I didn't think about the fact that Edward had followed me in as I dropped my towel and reached behind me to unhook my top. I barely registered Edward's hiss until his hand slid up my back and closed over mine.

His breath warmed my ear, and I shivered. "Just what do you think you are doing? First, you show your body off in these scraps of fabric, and now you're just going to remove them?" His body aligned with mine, and I could feel him firmly against my back. "Do you feel what you are doing to me?"

I gulped and made some sort of noise. The haze was infiltrating my brain again, and I might have turned to kiss him, but he gently shoved me away and asked me to go put clothes on.

I snatched my clothes from the top of my bag and ran into the bathroom, feelings of rejection swimming in my head once again. Memories of his eyes straying to Tanya played in a loop in my brain, and the tears came unbidden. I heard the door latch and sucked in a deep breath. He had left me again and gone to where she was waiting.

My brush was still in my bag, so I threw open the bathroom door and marched out to get it. Three steps into the room, I stopped in my tracks. Edward was sitting on the settee with his elbows on his knees and his head hung low. When he heard me, his head shot up, and his expression went from tired to worried.

"Bella? Are you . . . crying?"

"No," I lied.

"Yes, you are. What now?" he asked, sounding exasperated.

I just shook my head and turned toward my bag, intending to get my brush and escape. Edward, however, had other ideas. Before I could get to my hair brush, his hands were on my shoulders.

"Please don't walk away from me like this. What did I do now to make you cry?"

The tears came pouring forth and clenched my throat shut. "Look . . . her . . . push away . . . ugly," I managed to blubber out. I wasn't even sure what I was saying.

Edward spun me around to face him, but I couldn't look at him. "What?" he asked, clearly confused by my ramblings. "Bella, look at me," he ordered.

I shook my head and stared fixedly at his shoes. He gently pushed my head up with two of his fingers so that he could see my face. "Did I hurt your feelings when I asked you to get dressed?"

I couldn't answer, and I tried to look away.

"Oh, Bella." He ran his hand through his hair, making it even more of a riotous mess than it had been. "Did you really want me to lose all control and fuck you against the dresser?" he asked, now serious.

I whipped my head back towards him, and my mouth popped open in shock. The tears even halted in their tracks.

"I don't want it to be like that with you, not for the first time, anyway. I've told you over and over again that I've spent the last two years barely hanging on by a thread. I'm fairly sure I'm not good enough to resist you naked." There was no deceit in his expression, and he looked oddly hopeful at wherever his thoughts were going.

"But . . . down at the pool, you . . . Tanya . . ." I stuttered, clearly at a loss.

He snorted, grabbed a tissue from the dresser, and wiped my tears away. "Let's see. First, I wondered what she had been doing to you all day, and then I wondered what she had done with all the money she'd taken."

I gasped. "She did it?"

He stepped back and slumped back down on the settee. He patted the seat next to him, and I grabbed my brush and joined him. I listened while I ran the bristles through my now-knotted hair.

"It's either her or Stephan. He's the guy that has been running the offices for years. I can't prove it either way, since both of them have access to the same books and the same funds, but it seems a little strange that the shortages started shortly after she did. I had Eleazer go through them with me today, and he keeps trying to come up with another explanation, but I can't see one. As it is, Dad and I gave him thirty days to find the leak and to fix it with whatever means necessary. Needless to say, he isn't very happy right now."

"I'm sorry. That must have been awful," I commiserated.

He nodded and ran his hands through his hair. "It hasn't been the most pleasant trip."

I looked down and fidgeted with the hair brush. While I had to agree with him, I certainly thought that parts of the trip had been worthwhile. Getting to know him better and last night had both been highlights for me, at least, but I had to consider that he might not see it the same way.

"How did it go today?" Edward asked. He brushed a lock of hair off my face and tucked it behind my ear.

I shrugged. "Carmen gave your mom and me a tour of her remodeling," I offered.

He laughed a little. "I'm sure that was fascinating. But that's not what I meant."

I sighed. I didn't want him to be caught in the middle of this catfight. I didn't want to be the childish wife tattling on the other woman. "Nothing I couldn't handle," I assured him.

He frowned and opened his mouth to comment, but I chose that moment to return to the bathroom and finish readying myself for dinner.

As soon as I was done, Edward escorted me downstairs. He was lost in thought, but the silence wasn't overly comfortable. Neither of us spoke much at dinner, and I declined when Tanya invited me to come down for another pool tournament. Edward started to follow me back to our room, but I stopped in the foyer and placed my hand on his chest.

"You should go," I told him.

"Where?"

"To play pool. I understand it is something of a tradition, and you shouldn't have to miss out on that just because I don't want to be there," I said.

"I don't have to," he hedged.

"I know. But you want to, and that's fine. Just, just come to bed when everyone else does," I requested.

"Are you sure?" His brow was furrowed as if he was trying to judge my sincerity.

I nodded and gave him what I hoped was an open smile. Did I really want him hanging out with her all night? No, but it would make him happy, and that was all I wanted. Besides, his siblings were all going to be there.

He smiled back, kissed me quickly on the cheek, and walked off to the basement door. Only once did he turn around and look back.

Our room was just as we had left it, but now it felt cold and impersonal, much like a hotel suite. It was still early, and I wasn't tired, but the thought of spending any more time with that cow made me want to slit my wrists. Carlisle had said over dinner that we were leaving around eight in the morning, so I wouldn't have to schmooze too much over breakfast. I eyed my bag and figured that I might as well read for a couple of hours, for lack of anything better to do.

I hadn't read more than a few pages when a knock on my door brought me back to the present.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened slowly, and Esme peeked her head around it. "Do you mind if I come in for a few minutes?"

"Not at all!" I smiled warmly at her and patted the bed next to me. Since I had been home, I hadn't spent a lot of time with Esme. It wasn't that I hadn't wanted to, but what was I supposed to say to the mother of the cause of my pain? Right now, though, I just felt like I needed a mother, period.

"What are you doing up here when everyone else is downstairs?" she asked kindly.

"I just didn't feel much like socializing." It wasn't a complete lie. I didn't actually feel like socializing with _her_.

She gave me a sad smile and ran her hand over my hair. "I know this weekend has been a lot for you, honey. You've shown more strength these past few weeks than I would have. How in the world have you managed not to claw Tanya's eyes out?"

I giggled. "It's been a struggle. She's quite determined," I answered delicately.

Esme rolled her eyes. "Determined is one word for it. She's had her designs on Edward for years, not that he ever saw it."

"Why didn't he marry her, Esme? They're close in age, and they know each other so well," I asked hesitantly.

She laughed heartily and patted my leg. "Carlisle made the mistake of suggesting it once. I think it was around the time Rosalie and Emmett got married. Emmett asked Edward to be his best man, and Tanya was Rosalie's maid of honor. My dear husband told Edward that they made a handsome couple and asked when we might celebrate their marriage. Edward told his father that he would rather spend eternity with a banshee."

"But they . . . he . . ." I stuttered.

Esme shook her head and shrugged. "Sometimes men don't think with the heads on their shoulders, Bella. He knows that he was wrong, and one thing I can say for my son, he never makes the same mistake twice. How are things going, if I can ask?" She hastened to add, "I know it's between the two of you. I'm just asking as your mom who loves you."

I leaned on her shoulder, and she curled me into a one-armed embrace. "There are ups and downs. There are a lot of times that I think I can get over it, and then something happens to bring it all up again. Being here has been a two-edged sword. I've gotten to spend time around Tanya, and that reinforces the idea that she's a hag." I looked up at her and apologized. "Sorry, but she is."

Esme laughed. "It's okay, darling. You're allowed to hate her, and even I have to admit, she can be hard to deal with sometimes."

"There is that," I said wryly. "But then I remember that he chose her over me, and that lances through me all over again."

"No, Bella, he chose you. Marrying you was his decision, not ours. I can't pretend to know what motivated him to stray, but I know that he regrets it," she reassured me.

I sat up abruptly, pulled my hair back from my face, and looked at Esme intently. "Did you ever think I was too young for him, Esme?"

"Too young?" she asked, bewildered, and shook her head. "No, your age difference never occurred to me. As long as it didn't matter to you, it shouldn't matter to me, right?"

I sighed and frowned. The intricate pattern weaved into the bedspread with the gold thread was fascinating, and I followed it with my eyes. "Apparently, it did matter to one of us," I whispered.

Understanding lit her features, and she reached out for me again. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

I just let her hold me. There was nothing else to say and nowhere else to be, and I soaked up the comfort she was offering without a second thought.

Eventually, I pulled away and gave her a tentative smile. "Thank you. I know that you're supposed to be with the Spencers right now. I'm sorry I dragged you away."

"You're more important," she said with a smile. "Besides, they aren't in very good moods tonight. Accusing someone's child of theft doesn't tend to make you high on their list of favorite people."

"How fast can we get out of here tomorrow?" I joked.

She winked at me. "If we play our cards right, we can sneak out before they even wake up."

With a laugh, I encouraged her to leave. Once she was gone, I donned my thin white tank top and pink plaid shorts, brushed my teeth, and crawled into bed. Edward hadn't come up yet, but I really hadn't expected him to. Frankly, I wasn't even sure that he was coming to my bed tonight, and I hated that I doubted him so easily. The routine, the normal, and the hurt were just easier to revert to than to allow myself to hope and be disappointed again.

I didn't remember falling asleep, but I was jarred awake by an intense movement. Several scenarios ran through my tired brain—Alice jumping on the bed, earthquake, terrorist attack—but I was instantly transported back to reality when Edward's hand slithered across my waist and his lips brushed across my cheek. My eyes fell on the clock behind him, and I realized how late it actually was.

"It's just me, angel. I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep," he murmured into my ear, and I did just as he asked.

My heart rate had instantly calmed in his presence, and I drifted back off with my husband's lanky body wrapped around mine.

The alarm on my phone went off really early, and I had to wiggle out of Edward's arm to get to it. His arms were almost oppressive in their weight around me, and I needed to escape. A niggling feeling in the back of my mind was bothering me, and I couldn't pinpoint it while surrounded by his scent.

Edward struggled to hold on to me in his sleep, but I eventually slipped out of his hold and made my way to the bathroom. I stripped my pajamas off and stepped under the warm spray, attempting to loosen my tense muscles in the spray. I still couldn't figure out what was bothering me so much this morning, but I was starting to relax anyway. That was, until there was a knock on the door that scared me into dropping the bottle of shampoo on my toe.

"Shit!" I screamed as it bounced off.

"Bella? Are you all right?" Edward's worried voice called through the door.

"Yeah," I shouted back. "You just scared me."

"I'm sorry. Mom just knocked and said that we needed to be ready to leave in thirty minutes."

I sighed. I wasn't going to have time to work anything out this morning. "Okay. I'll be right out."

My hair was still damp when I skidded to a halt in the foyer where everyone else was gathered. Carmen and Eleazer were there to see us off, but Tanya was conspicuously absent. Alice was yawning and leaning against Jasper.

"Late night, dear?" I teased.

"Oh, you have no idea. We all went upstairs about midnight, but Jasper . . . wasn't ready to sleep," she whispered, and then groaned. "I am so tired this morning that I'm not sure I can walk to the car."

"Are you sure that tired is the reason that you can't walk?" I teased.

She slapped my arm. "Oh hush, you. Just because you were smart and didn't party all night doesn't mean that you can make fun of the rest of us idiots."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag. The uneasy feeling had just multiplied, and I really wanted to get out of here. Everyone else came out after me, and we piled into the cars someone had rented to take us to the airfield.

Rosalie and Alice once again flanked me on the plane; they had both gotten a second wind on the way over.

"I am so glad that we are going home," Rose said. "Tanya and I have been friends for years, but I am fairly sure I was going to punch her if I had to listen to her for five more minutes."

I gaped at her in shock. "What did I miss last night?"

She groaned. "I spent all weekend playing interference. She just doesn't take hints well."

Alice and I both snorted. "That's an understatement," Alice agreed.

"I just don't know what she hoped to accomplish. Edward spent most of the night actively avoiding her, and she just kept . . . trying," Rosalie explained. "By the time we went to bed at midnight, I couldn't decide who wanted to hit her more; me, Emmett, or Edward."

I giggled at the image her words produced.

"What did you end up doing, Bella?" Alice asked.

"I read for a little while, talked to Esme, and went to bed early. I thought I was under terrorist or Alice attack at around one when Edward . . ." I trailed off.

The unnamed, uneasy feeling finally found its source, and I whipped my head around to find Edward. He was in deep conversation with Carlisle, but looked up with a smile when he saw me staring. Moments later, his face twisted into worry and concern as he processed my expression.

"Bella? Bella!" Alice snapped her fingers in front of my face to get my attention.

I shook my head and spun back around in my seat; I hadn't even realized I moved.

"Terrorist attack? Edward? You lost us, sister," Rosalie said. She was gazing at me appraisingly, as if trying to unearth the cause for my sudden panic with just a look.

"What time did you all go upstairs?" I asked in a whisper.

"A little after midnight," Rosalie answered as if I was an idiot.

I swallowed. "And did Edward come upstairs with you?"

Alice slumped back in her seat and covered her mouth with her hand. "He didn't," she gasped.

Rosalie took a deep breath and placed her hands over mine. "He wouldn't, Bella. I know he wouldn't."

"I don't," I mumbled and cradled my head in my hands.

I felt Rosalie move beside me, but I was focusing on taking deep breaths to keep myself from crying. I had done too much of that lately, and I certainly didn't want there to be such a public display to further my humiliation.

"I'll be right back," Alice whispered as she squeezed my hand, and then Edward took her seat.

"Baby, what is it? What's wrong?" he asked gently, placing his hand over mine and trying to pull my hands from my face.

I jerked away and focused on his face, my anger simmering below the surface. "Please go away. We don't need to do this here!" I hissed.

He jolted back in shock. "What? Bella, talk to me."

"I don't want to right now," I stated clearly. "Please. Leave. Me. Alone."

He nodded and returned to his seat, but his eyes strayed over to me frequently. Alice retook her seat and clasped my hand.

"Bella, you need to talk to him. I am sure there's an explanation," she said soothingly.

"There's always an explanation, Alice. There's always a reason, and I am just supposed to be patient and understanding of them all. I'm done being understanding," I spat. "You know, why don't you go sit with Jasper. I don't think I'm going to be very good company right now."

She gave me a sad smile, but did as I requested, and I stared out the plane window for the rest of the flight. No one bothered me, but I could feel Edward's stare heavily on my back.

We still had almost an hour before the football games started when we tromped back into the house from our trip. Emmett was trying to cheer me up with trash talk, but I really wasn't in the mood and was considering skipping the games for my own sanity. I just didn't have it in me to fake it around our family when they clearly knew something was amiss.

"Come with me, please," Edward murmured, clutching my elbow and steering me towards the stairs.

I wrenched it from his grasp and stalked towards my room.

"Oh no, you don't," he groaned when my hand reached for the handle to my door. "I'm not letting you shut me out this time, Bella. What in the hell happened this morning?"

"Fine!" I shouted and stalked to his room, leaving my suitcase sitting in the hallway. Once we were inside and the door was closed, I wheeled on him and unleashed my fury.

"One thing, Edward. I asked one thing of you before you went downstairs last night. Was it worth it, Edward?" I screamed.

He looked lost, and it pissed me off even more. "Was what worth what, Bella?"

"I asked you to stay away from her. I asked to you come up with everyone else, and you just couldn't resist, could you?" I advanced on him and poked him in the chest. "So, I ask again, was getting your dick wet worth losing me?"

Edward's eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward, forcing me to step backwards. "First of all, I did no such thing." His voice was deceptively calm, and I could see the anger flashing in his eyes. "I promised you that it would never happen again, and I meant it. And as for not coming up with everyone else, I wasn't tired. My _wife_ refused to spend the evening with me and my family, and I wasn't ready to go to bed."

I took another step back as I processed the venom in his tone, and my calves bumped up against the edge of the chair.

"I used my few minutes alone with Tanya to make a few things clear to her." He advanced upon me again and towered over me.

"And what were those?" I whispered, nervousness making my voice desert me.

"That she's a bitch and that I didn't appreciate her treating my wife the way she had. That there was never an _us_ and there never would be. And that if she ever wanted to be welcome here again, she would have to straighten out her attitude," he said tightly.

"And she was good with that?" I whispered.

He laughed humorlessly. "No. She tried to convince me that 'we could be so good together' and that you had no idea what I needed as a man."

I stared at the floor, because she was right about the last part, and I wondered if he realized that. I didn't know what else to say, and I felt horrible that I had accused him of being unfaithful again. The silence stretched between us, and the tension grew thicker as the minutes ticked by.

Edward squatted down in front of me and tilted my chin toward him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly, most traces of his earlier anger dissipated.

"That's she's right, and that I am a horrible wife," I whispered back around the lump in my throat. "I'm sorry."

His expression grew pensive, and he folded his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. "You aren't a horrible wife, Bella. You specifically made a request of me, for your peace of mind, and I disregarded it. I'm pretty sure that is my failure, not yours. I did promise you, though, that it would never happen again, and I need for you to believe that."

I fought the urge to remind him that this wasn't the first time he had promised his fidelity, because it seemed completely counter-productive. "If you really wanted to spend time with me, why didn't you push me to come with you?" I asked.

Edward leaned back and sat on the floor with his back resting against the bed and his legs straight out in front of him. "I was pretty sure that Tanya hadn't kept her mouth shut all day, and I figured you could use the break. I did want to spend time with you, though."

"But an hour? You were down there with her for an hour," I said, trying to hold on to some of my fury.

He cocked his head to the side and gave me a quizzical look. "No, I wasn't. It was only like fifteen or twenty minutes. Why would you think that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because I can count? Alice and Rose said they went upstairs at midnight, and you didn't come to bed until one."

He chuckled. "They didn't go upstairs until about a quarter after. I followed around 12:30. I was trying to be quiet while getting ready for bed and stayed in the bathroom for a while," he explained.

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just kept my mouth shut and stared at the floor. All sides of me were warring, and I didn't know how to reconcile it. As his wife, I was hurt and scared. As a woman, I wanted him to prove to me physically that I was what he wanted, and I had no idea what to do with that.

As if my earlier words had just occurred to him, Edward asked, "What did you mean when you said that Tanya was right? Do you . . . do you think that I'm better off with her?" He sounded so unsure and sad at the prospect.

"No!" I shouted. "I wouldn't wish that on you, no matter how mad I was."

Edward laughed. "Then what did you mean?"

Damn. I was really hoping that he would bypass that little comment. How was I supposed to tell him that? _Oh gee, Edward. The only experience I have with your needs as a man is hearing Alice and Rosalie talk about your brothers and fumbling with my own vibrator, unsuccessfully pretending that it is you._ Yeah, I didn't think that was going to work. I might die from mortification before I let those words escape from my mouth. As it was, my thoughts were making my face burn.

"Hey, why are you fidgeting? What is it?" Edward asked gently. He was closer than I'd expected, having moved while I was lost in my inner rambling. His large hand covered mine and stilled them from their twisting.

"The game will be on soon. We should get downstairs," I blurted out as I tried to avoid what was really plaguing me.

I tried to stand, but Edward's tall form restrained me.

"Not going to happen, Bella," he stated firmly, pushing me back down. "We can't keep avoiding things. You have to talk to me!"

"Ugh!" I whined and wiggled in my chair. My face was on fire. Edward's expression made it clear that he was running out of patience, and I giggled at the track our conversation had taken.

"What?" he asked, clearly exasperated.

"It's just, a few minutes ago, we were yelling at each other about you spending time with Tanya, and now you are trying to get me to tell you that I am a complete idiot when it comes to sex, and I have no idea how all that would work," I blurted out in another bout of verbal word diarrhea.

His brow furrowed, and his mouth fell open as if he was going to say something, but he closed it after a few seconds of silence. As soon as I realized what I said, I clapped my hands over my mouth and gasped in horror.

"I didn't, I mean, that's not . . ." I stuttered and stared at him wide eyed.

Edward's face broke out into a sly grin, and he leaned toward me. "Are you trying to say that you've been thinking about having sex with me, Bella?"

I closed my eyes and turned my head down. This just kept getting more and more humiliating. I just shook my head.

Edward's hand slipped around my neck and brushed my hair away from my shoulders. "Bella, you are a beautiful woman, and I would be lying to you if I said I had never imagined it myself," he whispered in a deep voice.

"Y-you have?" I stuttered.

He chuckled darkly and brushed his lips over my ear. "Almost every night. For two fucking years."

I shivered and felt heat rushing between my legs. When I looked up to his face, his expression was hungry and wanting, and I was having a hard time remembering why acting on this instinct could ever be a bad idea.

Edward slowly lowered his face to mine, but he stopped when his lips were a millimeter away from mine. I could feel his breath washing over my face, and I couldn't take the anticipation any more. I closed the distance and pressed my lips to his.

In fiction, they describe the stars and explosions that accompany great kisses, and I'd always laughed at the creative license. At this moment, however, I considered that all the hype was completely lacking. My whole body was on fire, radiating from every point at which we touched. Edward's hands grasped my body tightly and pulled me closer, raising me off of the chair and into his arms. His lips devoured mine hungrily, and his left hand raked down my body to settle just above my ass. His right hand tangled in my hair, and I moaned at the sensation.

Edward's tongue ran across my bottom lip, which caused me to moan again. The feelings he was eliciting were foreign, but amazing. I plunged my tongue into his mouth and tangled it with his. Edward held me even closer, and the evidence of his excitement pressed against me. I looped my arms around his neck and pulled myself up so that I could feel him exactly where I wanted him. His arm cradled underneath me, holding me up and pressing me into him. His groans became more pronounced and our movements more frantic.

I broke away from Edward's mouth, panting, and his lips trailed down my throat. A hint of reason broke through the haze of lust, and I gasped.

"Edward, we have to stop," I breathed.

"But I don't want to," he said between kisses. "I want you."

I moaned as he pressed in to me again. "I don't want to, either."

Edward leaned back and stared into my eyes. "But we need to," he said rationally.

Slowly, and definitely reluctantly, Edward lowered me back to the floor. He continued to hold onto my arms and looked into my eyes. We were both still breathing heavily, and I leaned forward and laid my head on his chest. Edward wrapped his arms around me and just held me.

**Hit that little button down below and leave me a review. Let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8: Learning

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I didn't write Twilight. Shocking, I know. I did write this, though, and I don't give you permission to use it. **

**A/N: I want to say thank you to everyone that helped me with this chapter and I'm dedicating this one to swimom7 (she writes some really great stories and you should check them out). Thanks, ficwife, for your help on this one—I'm sure you'll see it! Thank you to Riss usc-mam for pre-reading, and Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for doing beta duty. They really do make each chapter better and keep me on my toes with commas. **

**Chapter 8: Learning**

**BPOV**

Edward and I eventually made it downstairs, but we missed most of the first game. Rosalie just raised her eyebrow at me in question, and I rolled my eyes. I knew she really didn't believe we were having make up sex, but the insinuation was slightly insulting. Edward and I maintained our distance from each other, though, and I was relieved. If either of us got much more worked up, taking things slowly and getting to know each other wasn't going to be an option.

That night, Edward stopped by my door and took my hands in his. "Bella, can we talk for a few minutes before bed?"

I shrugged and opened the door to my room. He shot a quick glance towards my bed and strode purposefully to my sitting room.

"What? Is my bed making you nervous?" I asked playfully, taking in the look of apprehension on his face as I leaned against the door frame.

"I, um, well, I thought it might be a little bit of a distraction, and I'm, uh . . . distracted enough," he admitted ruefully.

I chuckled and settled next to him on my love seat. "What did you want to talk about?"

He stared at the floor and fidgeted nervously. "I just thought it might be a good idea for us to set aside some time every night to talk, about our day, concerns, whatever."

"I think that's a great idea," I agreed. "Is there something specific you had in mind tonight?"

He twisted his hands in his lap more forcefully, and I reached over to still them. "I think we should stay in our own rooms for now," he blurted out.

My breath caught. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but I knew it wasn't that. Relief, rejection, and dismay washed through me all at once, and I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. I inhaled, but did not feel the relief that should be tied to it. My chest felt tight, due to my raging emotions. I almost did not catch him continuing.

". . . not that I don't want to. It's just that—"

"Wait. What?" I interrupted. "You want to, but you don't think we should? I don't get it."

He groaned. "Bella . . . you . . . it just isn't best for us to . . . and I'm not sure if I can . . ."

I just raised my eyebrow and stared at him with my mouth open. I had no idea what he was talking about. Finally, I snorted and chuckled. "You know, this whole talking every night thing would be more effective if you actually talked."

He tugged at his hair. "Ugh! Bella, I'm not sure if sleeping together is the best idea if we're not actually going to _sleep_ together. I loved having you in my bed this weekend, but after earlier, I'm not sure I can resist you," he said sheepishly.

"And you think we should . . . resist?" I asked for clarification.

He turned toward me and gave me a wry smile. "Yeah, I do. At least for now. You don't trust me to spend fifteen minutes with Tanya alone, and until you can, maybe we shouldn't . . ."

I tensed at the reference to Tanya, and he reached out for me. Before I registered it, he had gathered me into his arms and held me to him.

It took a few minutes before I found the courage to voice my opinion. "Here's the thing, Edward. I get your reason for wanting to wait, and it's totally valid." I paused, and it lasted longer than I had intended.

"But you don't agree?" Edward asked with a hint of amusement.

"It's not that. It's . . . well, I feel kind of cheated," I admitted.

"Cheated?" He was holding back a laugh.

"Yeah," I mumbled.

Since I was sitting so close to Edward, I could feel his chest shaking with his silent laughter. Eventually, the hilarity of our bargaining got to me as well, and we both ended up clutching on to each other as we both let it out.

"Okay, let's compromise," Edward said with a smile once we had both sufficiently recovered.

"I'm listening."

"Every night, we'll each set aside at least an hour for just us. During that time, we'll get to know each other," he suggested. "I still don't think we are ready for _that_, but maybe we can make you feel less . . . cheated."

I laughed at the ridiculousness that we had resorted to, but agreed. "Are there rules we are adhering to?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No, no rules. I just want to get to know you through you, and not the impressions I have from everyone else and from watching from afar. That is, if you'll let me."

I smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. For all of the mistakes he had made, he was trying, and that meant a lot to me. Edward turned his head, though, and caught my face between his hands. I thought he was going to reject me again, given that we had gotten carried away earlier, but he didn't. He brushed his lips softly over mine and rested his forehead against mine.

"We better get to bed," he murmured and kissed my forehead. "It's really late."

I nodded and stood slowly. He caught my wrist as I turned toward my room and yanked me backward into his chest. I giggled and hugged him tightly. He seemed more reluctant to let go than I was.

Finally, I patted his chest. "Go to bed, man, before I drag you to my bed and have my wicked way with you," I teased. It felt a little strange, but powerful to have the upper hand.

He groaned. "Don't tease me like that, woman," he retorted and swatted my ass as I walked away. The feeling of his hand _there_ made my whole body heat up.

I rolled my eyes and shut the door as I walked through it. I needed the barrier after having been pressed so close to him.

I didn't sleep well that night. Awake, I thought about our argument, and every time I closed my eyes, I remembered the feel of him against me, and that didn't help at all. I was so worked up that I considered trying to use my vibrator, but I decided not to. It wouldn't have satisfied me anyway.

On Monday, Alice went to her design class, and I sat in on a creative writing seminar while I waited for her. I hadn't lied to Tanya when I told her I had been taking college classes—I really had been, just not this semester. Esme had talked me out of it when it was time to register, insisting that I would have other things to focus on. So far, I was regretting that decision, as all I had to think about was my relationship with Edward. It was extremely frustrating to say the least.

Alice was practically vibrating with excitement as we returned home. She prattled on and on about some new technique, but she lost me when she said "needle and thread." I tried to make sure that I responded at all the right times, but when she finally fell silent, I figured that I hadn't been doing a very good job.

As usual, we all met for dinner, but Edward was distant, and he ate hurriedly. Just before he took his plate into the kitchen, he leaned down and spoke quietly into my ear.

"I have to get a little more work done tonight. Can we meet in your study about nine thirty?"

I turned and smiled at him to let him know that I liked that idea, and he returned my smile with one of his own. Then, he was gone. When I turned back to the table, everyone was staring in a different direction, and their obviousness made it clear that they had been gawking at the two of us.

"Okay, show's over, folks. Nothing to see here," I teased, and earned a hearty laugh from Emmett.

"Seriously, Bells, you two give me whiplash. Yesterday on the plane, you were ready to murder him, and today, it's all googly smiles and shit. What gives?" he asked.

Esme cocked her eyebrow at his language choice, but didn't comment. Instead, she focused her gaze on me, like everyone else.

"Um, well, it was . . . nothing . . . just a," I mumbled, embarrassed by the sudden attention and being asked to reveal intensely personal information.

"Do we need to have a girls' night?" Rosalie asked with her head cocked to the side.

I blushed and tried to appear incredibly interested in the food I was pushing around my plate. "I can't. I have a meeting."

"A meeting?" she scoffed.

"Yes, a _meeting_. At nine thirty," I answered, meeting her eyes fiercely.

"Whom, in the name of Pete, do you think you are meeting at such a late hour?" Esme shrieked. "That's just . . . I don't like it, Bella."

In a huff, I dropped my fork with a loud clatter and pushed my chair back. "I'm meeting with Edward this evening. I trust that you won't find fault with that arrangement."

Tired of being under the scrutiny of the family again, I stood, walked my plate to the kitchen, and retired to the game room. I was so weary of everyone butting into our relationship. I knew that they were bearing the brunt of the support and had been thrust into it just like I had, but we needed to fix it ourselves without their constant scrutiny.

I was still stewing over it when Edward entered my study that night.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked as he watched me pace around.

"Yeah. No. I'm frustrated," I complained.

Edward patted the sofa beside him. "Tell me about it?"

I slumped heavily next to him and exhaled loudly. "They're driving me crazy. I feel like we're under a microscope!"

"Did I miss something?" he asked. His expression was confused.

"Oh, it's just everything we do is being watched now, and that pisses me off. Then, I feel guilty because I love having their support without asking for it when things go wrong," I explained.

"I'm sorry. I know how much you hate the attention," he said quietly.

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, it is. If I hadn't been so stupid in the first place, this would never have been an issue," he argued, clearly frustrated with himself.

I sighed. "And if I had acted a little more like an adult and asked you about it first without making a huge scene, it might be different, too."

"What? You don't think packing a suitcase and screaming at me in front of the house was clandestine?" he teased.

"In hindsight? No, not so much. I just didn't know what else to do. I felt so unwanted and betrayed."

"The betrayed I can understand, but you've never been unwanted, Bella. Not wanting you was never my problem. I just didn't feel like I could do anything about it," he admitted.

"And now?" I asked, tilting my head to the side and studying his pensive expression.

"Still have the same problem," he quipped with a sudden grin.

"Damn. And here I thought we were getting somewhere," I teased.

He chuckled. "I can be in the same room as you for more than three minutes now. That's an improvement."

"Yeah, why was that again?" I asked casually. He had tried to explain it before, and I still wasn't sure I understood.

Edward sighed. "Bella, I knew that I was physically attracted to you, almost to the extreme. And when I spent time with you before the wedding, well, you were witty, self-deprecating, sweet, and smart. I couldn't imagine someone better suited to me than you were . . . are. And then I found out that I couldn't have you." He paused and took a couple of deep breaths. "You have to know, Bella, that I've spent the last two years watching you from afar and learning about you from my family. It wasn't fair of me, and I know that now, but I was afraid."

"What were you afraid of?" I asked.

"Spending time with you and getting too close to you. I knew what I would want from our relationship, and I knew that wasn't an option. Keeping you at a distance was how I protected myself."

I digested his words, and he let the silence reign.

"Why didn't you try to talk to me about it?" I asked again.

He snorted. "As I said before, Bella, I couldn't figure out a way to phrase it that wouldn't upset you. And that would have completely destroyed my plan of not allowing myself to be alone with you. What kind of message would it have sent for me to tell you that you were too young for me and then to jump you at the first opportunity?"

"That would certainly have been interesting," I said, laughing. "What did you learn about me?"

He laughed, and just like before our wedding, the sound warmed me. "Well, you are a good singer, and you play a mean guitar on Rock Band. When you don't think anyone is watching, you dance with abandon, and it is, hands down, the sexiest thing I've ever seen." He tapped his chin with his forefinger and attempted to look pensive. "You hated your statistics course, but you were really good at it, and you loved your drama class, even though you can't act."

I slapped his arm and laughed at his observations. So far, they were pretty spot on.

"Hmm, what else? You disappear for hours at a time so you can read without interruption, and you are incredibly modest. You don't like peas or shrimp, and usually sneak an extra roll at dinner. Recently, I've learned that you like to sleep on the left side of the bed," he added teasingly.

"Gee, you know me so well already," I murmured. I didn't feel like my knowledge about him was nearly as complete.

Edward drew his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. I rested my head against his chest and nuzzled into it. "Not as much as I'd like to," he said quietly and seriously. "I don't usually know how you are going to react to things, and I never know what you're thinking. I know the whats, but not the whys, and I want those, too. Now, for instance, I have no idea what's going through your mind."

I let his statement trail off while I digested his declaration. He wanted to know what made me, me. And . . . I wanted to let him. It was new territory for us, and I was a little scared.

"Being with you like this feels so comfortable and familiar, but I have no idea why," I blurted out, and instantly wanted to hide. "I'm afraid, too."

"What are you afraid of?" His deep voice rumbled underneath my ear, and the vibrations explored my body, leaving tingles in their wake.

Internally, I debated with myself on how to answer this question. Being completely honest would leave me vulnerable, but glossing over my fears wouldn't help either of us get through it. In the end, I decided to err on the side of honesty, but hold a little back for myself.

"I'm afraid of feeling so close to you, of opening myself up . . . and getting hurt again," I confessed.

Edward sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, the tendrils of air blowing through my hair and lifting it ever so slightly. "I cannot promise that I won't ever hurt you again. I'm going to screw up from time to time. But I do swear that it will never be intentional."

I thought about that for a minute and it sounded fair to me. "I can work with that," I breathed and tilted my chin up to smile at him.

His proximity caught us both off guard, and we froze, just staring at each other. Seconds later, Edward's lips crashed into mine, and all of my worries left the building. All I could concentrate on was the feel of this man—_my _man—pressed up against me and the sensations that surged through my body.

I moved my hand to his cheek, and he cradled my back and my hip as our tongues tangoed. Pulling and pushing, they fought for control, neither giving in but both weaving pleasure, want, and need into the kiss. When my lungs could no longer subsist on the shallow breaths I was taking through my nose, I pulled away and just watched him. My eyelids were heavy with lust, and the rise and fall of his chest was mesmerizing. His normally bright, green eyes were dark and wanting, and his lips were puffy from pressing against mine.

With ill-disguised intentions, Edward cupped my cheek and pulled me in for another kiss. It was hard, but gentle, and he refused to let me deepen it.

"We should call it a night," he said in a husky voice between chaste kisses on and around my mouth.

"I don't want to," I pouted. My head knew that he was right, but it wasn't in charge right now. Body and heart weren't listening.

"Me neither, but we should," he insisted. "Good night, Bella." He gave me a final kiss and moved quickly through the door to his room.

Stunned at the sudden turn of events, I wandered into my bathroom and looked critically at myself in the mirror. Other than looking like I had been thoroughly kissed, I was the same as always, and I couldn't make Edward's words and his flight make sense. That was until I heard the squeal of the pipes and the distinct sound of running water.

Since we had always been on such different schedules, it never registered that our bathrooms were really only separated by a thin wall. Every noise in one was a faint shadow in the other, but there was no mistaking the moan I heard just moments into Edward's shower.

I giggled, proud that I had done that to him, that I had caused his need. Me, not _her. _Then, I went back in my room, shut the door and dug BOB out of my drawer. He wasn't going to be the only one to get some relief.

The rest of the week was hectic, and Edward was distracted. We still made the time to talk each night, but there were no more repeats of our Sunday . . . discussions. I did learn that he liked spicy Chinese food and fresh popcorn. He played baseball in high school and college, and hid his piano playing from all his friends. I wasn't sure how to draw him out, so I let his attention wander and made sure that he knew he could talk to me when he was ready.

That came sooner than I thought it would.

I was walking into the foyer, laden with drapes for Alice's new redecorating project, when I heard a door slam loudly, somewhere in the direction of the offices. Determined steps echoed off the walls, and Edward strode toward the stairs. He stopped suddenly when he caught sight of me, and blew out a breath he had been holding.

"Alice, do you need Bella to be your pack-mule right now?" he asked, clearly angered.

"What? I, uh, no?" she answered, taking a step backward at his abruptness.

I tried to intercede. "It's okay, Edward. I volunteered. She needed help, and I didn't have anything to do." Alice hadn't done anything to deserve his ire.

"What?" He looked taken aback at my defense. "I don't give a shit if you help with the drapes. I just wanted to know if we can get out of here and go to dinner." His agitation was rolling off him in waves and coloring his words.

I tossed an unsure look at Alice. Our tentative relationship hadn't covered this side of Edward. She shrugged.

"Sure. Just . . . um . . . let me put these down, okay?" I asked hesitantly.

He nodded and turned away, climbing the stairs quickly before I could say anything else.

"Okay, so where do you want these?" I asked Alice, who was still staring at the stairs in shock.

She just motioned for me to follow her, and I laid them out on her sewing table, before rushing back to my room to change. When I realized that I had no idea what to wear, I knocked lightly on Edward's door.

"What?" he yelled as he flung open the door. When he realized that it was me, his face softened. "Sorry, Bella."

"Are you sure you want to go out?" I asked, gauging his mood. I didn't want to go with him if he was going to be an ass all night.

"Yes. I need to get out of here. Do you mind?"

I shook my head. "No, but . . . where are we going?"

For the first time since he had opened the door, I let my eyes wander and suddenly wished I hadn't. He was standing there in his dress pants and no shirt. My girly parts really liked his tendency to run around half naked, but my self-preservation was trying to slip a blindfold over my eyes.

"I don't care. Some place casual? Will that work?" he suggested.

"Let me just change my shirt, then, and I'll be ready. You should, uh, probably put one on, too," I mumbled.

"You don't like this look?" he asked innocently.

I narrowed my eyes. "Yes, I do, as a matter-of-fact. I'm just not willing to share my private scenery tonight!" I wheeled around and fake stomped back to my room to the sound of his laughter behind me. If nothing else, I had gotten him to loosen up a little before our . . . holy crap! We were going on a date! Sure, he hadn't called it that, but what else could it be?

I tore through my room to find my red tank top and the white sweater I usually wore over it. The evenings had been really chilly lately, despite the heat of the Indian summer in the daytime, and I knew I would get cold. I was just touching up my hair when Edward knocked on my door. I called for him to come in, but he never did. Eventually, I grabbed my purse off my desk and flung open the door.

Edward stood on the other side with a bouquet of those tissue paper flowers like the ones in my room.

"Milady," he said with a funny little bow, and presented me with the flowers.

I laughed and took them from him. "Thank you. Would you like to come in while I put them in some . . . well, in a cup?"

He smiled and gestured for me to go ahead. I added them quickly to the vase with the other ones. "Are you responsible for these, too?" I asked.

"Yeah. I, uh, made them at Bally's Hospital while you were . . . at home," he said uneasily. We both tried to avoid talking about that time as much as possible. He led me from the room and down to the car.

"What did I do to deserve some tonight?" I asked curiously.

He pretended to be offended. "I think a gentleman should always bring flowers when he picks up his date."

I smiled and rolled my eyes to quell my nerves. It was easier to shrug it off as teasing than think too much about what we were doing.

My casual attire ended up being completely appropriate for our dinner date. Edward took me to a family-owned pizzeria that was full of adult ball-players. It appeared to be some softball team that had just won a championship, and they were celebrating.

"So," I asked as we perused the menu, "what happened today to upset you so much and make you drag me out of the house?"

"Can't I just have wanted to take my wife to dinner?" he returned, clearly avoiding the question.

"Sure, you could have, but there is something else going on," I answered.

The waitress interrupted us and took our order—a three meat pizza with hand-tossed crust. Edward fiddled more with his hands before continuing, and I started to wonder if I was going to have to call Alice to come get me.

"Edward?" I said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Bella. It has just been a really long week," he said, and his voice was clearly dejected.

"Want to tell me about it?" I finally offered.

He looked shocked. "Do you want to hear it?"

"Well, yeah," I said, trying to keep the "_duh_" out of my voice and failing.

He took a sip of his Coke and then launched into it. "Do you remember the trip I had to take around our wedding? The one to Italy?"

I nodded.

"So, Aro has decided to try to force us out of our property again, and this time, he is using . . . less than legal means. The good news is that I can pretty easily shut him down because he has resorted to illegal measures, but proving it to keep him away permanently is more challenging. I think I'm going to have to fly over there again. On Tuesday, I got my credit card bill, only to discover a bunch of clothing purchases that I knew nothing about. At first, I thought they might have been yours, since they were incurred around the time we were at the Spencers, but I just couldn't imagine you spending more than $10,000 on a couple of pairs of jeans, some shirts, and a little lingerie."

"Holy shit, Edward! I swear that wasn't me. I don't think I spent more than a couple of hundred dollars that day," I defended.

He reached across the table and grasped my hand, squeezing it slightly. "I know, baby. I called and had the stores fax me the receipts."

"Who . . ." I trailed off as I realized exactly who would have done that. I just didn't know how. "How did she get your card?"

"I don't know how it happened. From what I can tell, she put it on account, and later, brought my card back to pay. The crazy part is that mine is still in my wallet. I checked. I had to report my card stolen, dispute the charges, and call Tanya. She didn't answer, of course."

He took another long drink, but never let go of my hand. "Yesterday, things were looking up. All of the stores had refunded my money, and my new card arrived before ten o'clock. I was finally making some headway into destroying Aro's take-over plan. In fact, I even arranged it so that we would end up with an additional ten percent of the holdings. Then, Tanya called."

I gasped. "Oh no! What did she have to say for herself?"

"Well, the stores in question sent her the bills for her purchases, and she tried to insist that they had already been paid for. When they informed her that I had declined the charges, she hit the roof. She asked if you had made me do it, why I had denied the gifts I had given her. I don't think I said more than fifteen words for the entire forty-five minutes we were on the phone. When we were done, she threatened to tell you all of the intimate details of our . . . affair, I guess . . . and told me that you would leave me as soon as you knew all about it." He sighed.

My whole body tensed. "Is there more I don't know?"

Edward's head fell forward. "Just the gruesome details. I didn't think you really wanted those."

I considered it for a moment. As it was, I was already going to be comparing myself to her, and I wasn't sure I wanted any more of a mental picture to go along with it. On the other hand, Edward was adamant that it wasn't anything to write home about. In fact, he had told me that last Christmas' blow job had been in the bathroom. I chose my words carefully. "Um, maybe, but . . . not right now."

Edward took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Maybe."

The silence settled between us, and the server took that opportunity to drop the steaming pie on the table. I put a slice on each of our plates and cut myself a bite. "So, what happened today?" I asked while blowing on my piece.

He chuckled humorlessly. "Dad reamed my ass this afternoon. Apparently, I can't do anything right. It's all my fault that Aro has made a move again, despite the fact that I've managed to hold him off better than he ever could. And he somehow got my credit card bill and figured out that the purchases weren't yours. He accused me of continuing the affair and buying Tanya gifts to keep her quiet. He asked me why I didn't marry her in the first place and save us all some heartache. He 'never had this much trouble' from my siblings."

"Ouch." I winced. "That explains why you stormed out."

"That was after I threw Aro's removal plan at him, read off the credit confirmations, and apologized for not being more like Jasper and choosing to spend more time at the farm than on his business," Edward stated.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." I patted his hand around his pizza, and he smiled at me.

"As long as you believe me, Bella, I'll deal with it."

When we finished our pizza, we resumed our conversation, albeit on a slightly lighter note.

"You know, I've asked Alice and Rosalie over the years about their weddings, and I always got the impression that their weddings weren't arranged," I said casually.

Edward laughed. "Lord, no. None of them understood why I did it, either. Alice is the daughter of the woman that used to be our housekeeper. When she was about seven, Alice got sick and had to stay home from school. When we got home, she was bouncing around our house and introduced herself. She took one look at Jasper and said, 'You've kept me waiting a long time.' He just ducked his head and apologized. He's been hers ever since. They got married the day after she turned eighteen three years ago. Rosalie got married at nineteen, after giving Emmett a really hard time. She was always the Belle of the Ball and expected to get married and move into her husband's castle. Emmett got a job on our farm one summer with Jasper and was completely taken with her. She thought he was after her money and tried to prove it. When she failed and discovered what a good guy he really was, she gave in and fell in love. Those two were almost impossible to be around for the first couple of years. That's why their rooms are on the other side of the house!"

"And you? Rosalie once told me about a couple of girls that you dated in school. Why resort to an arranged marriage when you didn't have to?" I asked. I had been insanely curious about this for years, because what would entice such a good looking man to marry a girl essentially sight unseen?

Edward set his glass down and clasped my hands, rubbing my knuckles with his thumbs. He bit the inside of his lip and sighed. "Did you know that Esme isn't actually my mother?"

"What?" I cried.

"My mom, Elizabeth, was Dad's first wife. Elizabeth wasn't really ready to be a mother. She freaked out, left when I was only two weeks old, and never came back. Dad loved her, and from what I'm told, he went through a really rough period that first year. I spent most of my time with a nanny, and he retreated into his work. Grandma Cullen finally told him that I needed a mother and to get his head out of his ass. She told him about some suitable young ladies, and he picked one." Edward smiled. "Esme really is the only mother I've ever known. They got married just after my first birthday, and Jasper and Rosalie were born a year later."

"I had no idea," I mumbled, staring at my hands. Seeing the love between Esme and Carlisle, I never would have guessed that their beginnings were a lot like ours. "Why did Esme agree to it? I know these arrangements aren't really that common these days."

"Esme was married before, only for about a year. Her husband was very abusive, but he put on a good front for the rest of the world. Publically, he accused her of infidelity, and basically being a gold-digger. For her, it was like a death sentence. She went back home, disgraced and alone, and her parents didn't really know what to do with her. She had been groomed to be a wife and mother. When my father's offer came along, despite her sordid past, it was like a beacon of hope. And in the end, it was more than either of them could have hoped for."

"And do you and your dad . . ."

"We don't talk about Elizabeth much. He told me when she died—I was nine—but that is the only time we ever mentioned it. Dad has always been a little harder on me, though, and I've worked hard to prove myself to him. To prove that I'm not like her." The anguish and stress of his life bled through in his tone. "But part of me didn't want to be like him, either. I didn't want to fall in love with and marry my high school sweetheart and get my heart broken, so I didn't have one. When my brother and sister got married, I envied them, because I figured I would never have anyone like that." Edward squeezed my hands and smiled at me. "Then, you came along. One look at your face, your expression, and I knew."

I smiled at him, his words touching my heart past the hurt. "Have you ever regretted it?" I asked.

"No," he said firmly. "I've wished that things were different, that you were older, but I've never regretted marrying you." He paused, looking a little uncertain. "Have you?"

I fidgeted a little in my seat, wondering how best to answer this. "I don't think regret is necessarily the right word. I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, so there were no decisions to regret. I've wished I was more attractive, more pleasing. But I guess around my birthday is the closest I've ever come to wishing we had never married."

"And now?" he whispered sadly.

"Now, I'm still hurt, but I'm enjoying getting to know you. I'm glad I came home," I whispered.

Edward's answering grin was blinding. He threw some money on the table to pay our bill and tugged my hand to pull me up. I stumbled along behind him as he rushed out the door. Instead of going to his car, though, he strode across the street.

"Edward, where are we going? Slow down!" I called to him.

His strides got shorter, but were no less determined as he pointed to some lights a couple of blocks away. We didn't speak until we were upon what looked like a glorified block party. There were tents full of people, beer flowing freely, and a parking lot full of booths and rides.

"What is this?" I exclaimed in awe. My eyes were darting all over the scene in front of me, trying to take in as much as possible. I could hear the laughter of kids and loud music; everything in front of me screamed fun and happiness.

"St. Rupert's Octoberfest picnic!" he shouted over the din. "Let's go!"

"St. Rupert?"

"Yeah, he was a saint from the 700s or something like that. All I remember is worms. Nevertheless, it'll be fun!"

I giggled at his enthusiasm and followed him through the beer garden. Part of me expected him to go get one, since his day had been so bad, but he plowed through the mass of bodies and led me over to the games. He paid his money for three basketballs and tried to shoot them through the slightly too small hoops.

The first one bounced off the backboard, and Edward huffed. I stifled my giggle, because he was so determined. The second one circled around the rim but fell out, and I couldn't hold in the laugh that spilled out when he yelled at it. I hadn't ever seen this side of him, and damn, it was funny!

Finally, the third one went in, and he let out a triumphant cry, complete with fist pump. I laughed at his antics, and he responded by hugging me around the waist and spinning me around.

"Your prize, milady," he said with a grin, and gestured to the pot of candy on the countertop.

I laughed and took the Laffy Taffy the lady offered me. "Hey, you worked so hard for it, take a bite," I urged Edward, and on a whim, I stuck it between my teeth.

Edward's eyes widened, and he raised his eyebrows. I just smirked around my teeth and the taffy and challenged him wordlessly to come get it.

He smirked back and leaned down, capturing my lips firmly in his. It was hard to really get into the kiss with the candy between us, but it was a reminder to keep our actions kid-friendly. Before I knew it, Edward leaned back up, chewing on a piece of the candy.

"Mmm—mmm. Cherry flavored Bella kisses," he teased. I blushed, and he laughed.

For several hours, we wandered through the booths, bidding on cakes, doing the ring toss, riding The Scrambler, and laughing. We watched little girls line up to get their faces painted and little boys fight with fake swords from one of the many booths. He was so carefree, and after the week he'd had, I was glad to see it. This side of him was so much fun, and my heart flipped a little as he wound his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. After all the pain and the heartache of that last few weeks, it was nice to act my age and enjoy myself.

I linked my arm around his waist, and we walked like this back to the car, laughing and recounting the funny things that we had seen. Edward was still laughing when we slipped through the front door. We were trying to be quiet, as it was almost midnight. He was bent at the waist, and I was resting my hand on his back, when I spotted Carlisle on the far end of the foyer. I froze, and as if he felt my tension, Edward straightened and stared at me. His eyes followed the path of mine, and the corners of his mouth instantly shifted into a deep frown.

"Father," he said stiffly and pulled me close to him again.

"Edward." Carlisle's voice held so many emotions, and I struggled to place them all. There was worry, fear, sorrow, regret, and happiness. "Bella. I didn't know you all had plans this evening."

"We didn't," Edward replied shortly.

"I . . . uh, can we, can I have a word, son?" Carlisle asked with the barest hint of hope in his voice.

Edward regarded his father critically and took a deep breath. I could feel the strain in his body, and I rubbed my hand over his arm in a gesture of comfort. I didn't know if it would provide any, but I had to try.

"Maybe tomorrow, Dad," he finally acquiesced.

Carlisle nodded and gave him a tentative smile. "I'm glad you are home safely."

Edward just inclined his head and steered me towards our bedrooms. When we stopped outside my door, he gave me a rueful smile.

"I had fun tonight, Bella. Thank you for coming with me." His large hand cupped my cheek, and his thumb caressed my cheek bone.

I leaned into his touch. "I had fun, too. Thanks for dragging me along." I bit my lip and gazed into his eyes.

His eyes flickered down to my lips, and he licked his own.

Slowly, Edward leaned closer, and I stretched up a little. Halfway, our lips met in a gentle kiss. This was the way it had to be with us from now on. I couldn't expect him to come all the way to me, or else he would retreat. I couldn't allow myself to have to reach out all the way for him, because I would always worry that he didn't want me. Together, though, we could see our way through the mire. Meeting each other halfway would allow us to grow together, and I rather liked the idea.

With his breathing slightly elevated, Edward pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. Moments passed as we breathed each other in and reveled in the closeness that we shared.

"Good night, Bella," he whispered as he reluctantly moved away.

"Good night, Edward," I whispered back.

My fingers traced my lips as I watched him back slowly to his room. With the greatest of effort, he leaned into his door and faded from my sight. The sensation of his kiss, though, stayed with me for the rest of the night.

**I'm steeling myself now for the mixed reaction I am SURE I'm going to get from this chapter. So hit me with it. I love each and every review and comment on the forum. **


	9. Chapter 9: Determination

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable features belong to their respective owners and this plot belongs to me. Please do not use any part of it without my permission. 'Nough said, right? Right. **

**A/N: I need to thank the usual suspects this week, Riss usc_mam, Jenny Cullen, and bonnysammy. They make each chapter better—oh, so much better. I also want to thank my darling swimom7 for listening to me vent and letting me bounce ideas off of her. Thanks to Mollie for her incredible pimpage and thank you to whomever nominated me for an Avant Garde award. I am humbled and awed that you think so much of me. **

**Now, since what I know you really just want to read the chapter, here you go. **

**Chapter 9: Determination**

**BPOV**

Alice did not allow me to sleep late on Saturday morning, much to my dismay. She was determined to get Esme's new furnishings in place and needed _my _assistance.

"Where's Jasper?" I moaned, covering my head with a pillow.

Alice flopped on the bed and groaned. "He had to go to the barns this morning. One of the horses has a problem with its leg, and another is ready to foal. So you see, Bella, I need you. Please?"

"Alice . . ." I whined.

"Oh, what else are you going to do? Edward is meeting with Carlisle this morning, and Rose is working on school curriculum for that charter school she wants," she informed me.

I flung the pillow away from my face and sat up quickly. "Edward is talking to Carlisle?"

"I saw Carlisle go into Edward's office about an hour ago," she said with a nod. It was obvious that she did not yet know the importance of this information.

"What time is it?" I asked, confused.

"It's nine-thirty, silly," she replied, giving me a look that clearly told me she thought I was nuts.

My mind raced. I knew that Edward preferred to sleep in on the weekends as well, so the situation with his dad must have been weighing heavier on his mind than I'd realized. Either that, or work was worse than he let on, and I wasn't really happy with either option.

"Esme was up really early this morning. Actually, I'm not sure if she ever slept last night; she looked exhausted," Alice relayed. "Do you know something about this?" she asked suspiciously when she took in my expression.

"Maybe. Let's talk about it over drapes," I suggested. I wondered how much of this I should share with Alice, as much of my information had been gleaned from my private conversation with Edward.

I jumped out of bed and threw on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. I knew that I would get hot and sweaty climbing up and down all day, and I didn't want to deal with the chafing.

While Edward and I had been out on our date, Alice had made the changes she had pinned the day before. She showed them to me as we laid the fabric out, preparing to slide it onto the rods.

"So, what in the world is going on in this house?" Alice asked. She didn't like being out of the loop, and this was unusual; she usually knew most of the comings and goings of the Cullen household.

"Edward and Carlisle got into an argument yesterday," I said evasively, still unsure as to how much to say.

Alice sighed. "Carlisle is always so hard on him. Not that he hasn't screwed up royally here," she added hastily. "That explains why Edward was so mad yesterday, and why Esme didn't sleep well."

"Why does that explain why Esme didn't sleep well?" I asked.

Alice chose her words carefully. "She is very . . . protective of Edward, and probably had words with Carlisle if she didn't think he was being fair."

"I did have words with Carlisle," a tired voice from the doorway said. "He hasn't done Edward any favors all these years, and I'm sure that Edward didn't feel like he could talk to his father when things spiraled out of his control. I just didn't realize how bad it was."

My cheeks heated and I felt like an outsider again, witnessing a private family moment. I had never noticed any of this. I idly wondered if I would ever feel like I belonged here all the time and if some of that was my own fault for not paying attention to the family dynamics. Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't seen Esme cross the room. She startled me when she gathered me into her arms.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I feel like I've failed both of you. I should have seen; I should have known that something was wrong. I was just so happy that he was finally breaking through the wall he'd built around himself that I didn't see what was happening," she lamented.

"It's not your fault, Esme. There isn't anything you could have done," I said sincerely, hugging her back and trying to ease her guilty conscience. In an instant, all my feelings of not belonging evaporated.

She pulled back, and her face was fierce. "I could have smacked some sense into him!"

I laughed and shook my head. There was no need for anyone else to take the blame. Edward had made his decisions on his own. The blame was firmly on him. Now, we all just had to live with the consequences.

Esme set her coffee on the side table and helped us position the curtains. When she and Alice were satisfied, we tromped off to the kitchen for some sustenance. Carlisle was in there, leaning against the counter, and he held out his hand for Esme to come to him. She regarded him for a long moment and raised her eyebrow.

"We've spoken," he said simply, giving nothing away.

"And?" she challenged.

His eyes darted between Alice and me, and he sighed. "He had a lot to say."

Esme shook her head and sighed. "Let this be a lesson, girls. Never go to bed angry with your spouse, even if it means that you don't go to bed at all. And if he still doesn't manage to fix it, take a nap and let him sleep on the couch until he does." She whipped around and stalked out of the room, leaving Carlisle with his mouth hanging open.

"I think I need to go," I whispered before taking my leave. Alice gave me a tentative smile, and Carlisle didn't even look up to see me go.

Edward was still in his office when I arrived, and it was clear that he was not in the best frame of mind.

"How did it go?" I asked quietly as he threw some papers into a briefcase.

He huffed and gave me a half-hearted smile, before motioning me towards a chair near his desk. "Well, he did at least give me a chance to defend myself before telling me what a failure I am."

"He didn't," I gasped.

"He didn't use those exact words, but his intent was clear. Whatever positive he had to say came straight from Mom. The only thing he finds me useful for is to run his business," he said sadly. "Speaking of which, do you want to take a trip to Italy?"

"Italy? The thing with Aro?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I had to forfeit my honeymoon for it, and now, while we are trying to work things out, I have to leave again. He doesn't really care what it does to my personal life, as long as his precious business is unscathed," Edward said bitterly.

"You know that isn't true," I reassured him. "I know that he loves you; he's just having a hard time showing it right now."

He just shrugged and continued packing. "So, Italy. Redo that honeymoon we missed?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

My emotions were all over the place. I really wanted a do-over, but I also knew that I wasn't ready for that level of intimacy yet. I also didn't want to spend that "honeymoon" alone while Edward worked. His stress level wasn't going to decrease any just because I was there.

I must have been silent for too long, because Edward answered for me. "I take it that's a no, then," he whispered sadly and then swallowed hard.

I wanted to comfort him, but I really had no idea what to say that would make my refusal better. I tried anyway. "Edward, it's just that—"

He held up his hand to stop me, and I fell silent. "It's fine, Bella. I get it. Dad's already scheduled my flight, and I'm leaving this afternoon. I had just hoped that we could use the time to . . . I don't know. It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes as I took in his feelings of rejection.

"No, it doesn't," he said firmly. "Come help me pack, though?"

My throat was too constricted to speak, so I merely nodded and took his hand when he offered it. We walked to his room in silence, hand in hand. Once there, I sat on his bed, next to his suitcase, and watched as he loaded it up.

"How long will you be gone?" I finally asked to break the tension.

"I'll be back sometime next week, I guess," he said off-handedly, as if it didn't matter. I could see the internal battle, and knew he was fighting to maintain the façade.

"Will you call me while you're gone?" I asked quietly. He was going to miss our nightly chats, and I found that it bothered me. That time was ours, and we both carved out that time for each other. I didn't want this to return us to where we were before. Our fledgling relationship wouldn't survive it.

He paused, set his clothes in his bag, and grabbed my hands. "Do you want me to?" he asked earnestly. Hope blossomed in his eyes.

"Um, yeah? I mean, we won't be able to meet in the study every night while you're gone," I fumbled.

He gave me a half-smile. "I'll be seven hours ahead of you, so it won't be able to be at nine-thirty. Can I just call you when I finally make it back to my room?"

"Sure. What do you do there when you aren't fighting with Aro?" I asked teasingly as he resumed his packing. "Do you go out?"

He stiffened and took a deep breath. "Well, most of time when I have to travel, I either eat with those I am working with, or I eat alone, then retreat to my room and spend the rest of the night working. I don't really go out, Bella," he retorted shortly.

It didn't take me long to realize what he thought I was assuming. I believed him when he told me that Tanya was the only one, so it hadn't occurred to me that he would think I was being accusing. Although, given the conversations with his father, it shouldn't have surprised me.

"Oh," I said lamely.

He stilled again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that," he said, now contrite.

I shrugged. "It's okay. I didn't mean it that way. I just wanted to know what your trips were like."

He laughed a little. "They're pretty boring and filled with people that aren't happy to see me, most of the time. Maybe one day, you can go with me and give me something to look forward to at the end of the day."

I smiled. "Maybe."

Further conversation was cut off by a firm knock on the door. In confusion, Edward opened it and found Carlisle on the other side, with his own suitcase next to him.

"Are you ready to go?" Carlisle asked stiffly. He did a double-take when he saw me sitting on the bed.

"Just about. What's that?" Edward asked him, gesturing to the bag at Carlisle's side.

Carlisle sighed. "Your mother has informed me that I am going with you. Can I put my suit in your hanging bag?"

"Sure . . ." Edward took the garment and hung it over his suit. "Do you not trust me to handle this on my own?" he asked, anger simmering again below the surface.

"I'm sure you can handle it just fine, but your mother told me I was going, and I chose not to argue," he said tiredly.

I giggled, remembering Esme's outburst in the kitchen, and Edward raised his eyebrow at me. I just shook my head and gave him a small smile. He zipped up his bags and rolled them over to the door, before walking back over to me.

He stood between my legs and rubbed his thumb over my cheek as he cradled my head in his hand. "I'll miss you," he whispered quietly.

"I'll miss you, too. Be careful, okay?" I requested.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered with a smile. "I'll call you when we get there."

"Thank you."

He traced my lower lip with his thumb and stared into my eyes. "May I?" he whispered.

I nodded, and he immediately claimed my lips with his own. It was chaste and sweet. A good-bye kiss filled with longing and regret.

His kiss left me wanting more as we broke apart, but instead, I watched him leave with his father. The only comfort I could take was that he didn't want to go.

It was a really long week. Edward called when they got in, but it was so late that all he had time to do was tell me good night before he fell asleep.

The next morning, Esme met me in the foyer on my way to the kitchen and asked me to go to breakfast with her. Unlike meals out with Carmen, spontaneous meals with Esme were low-key and fun. Waffle House was crowded, but we slipped into a booth in the back and waited for our waitress to finish with all the patrons at the counter.

"I hear that you insisted that Carlisle go to Italy," I said, still amused by his forlorn expression when he opened Edward's door.

She laughed openly and looked rather pleased with herself. "I thought it was genius, really. I didn't want to deal with him here, and he needs to spend some time with Edward. Two birds, one stone!"

"I guess I've just missed a lot. I never realized things were so strained between them," I confessed.

"They weren't really. It was more that they weren't close and didn't talk much until this whole Tanya situation. Now, Carlisle's so angry with him that it doesn't matter what he does. It's just not good enough," she explained with a shrug. Her mention of the Tanya situation made me cringe, and she caught the shudder. "I know you feel like it is between the two of you, Bella, and to some extent, it is. But the Spencers are good friends of ours, and it puts Carlisle and me in an uncomfortable position, too. We don't want to hurt you by having them around. Also, it reminds Carlisle of some things he'd rather forget about."

"Elizabeth?" I asked.

Her eyes widened, but her response was cut off by the arrival of our waitress. In true Waffle House fashion, she took our order and shouted it to the line cook, before filling our drinks and plopping them on the table.

Esme took a sip of her Diet Coke and regarded me intently. "Who told you about Elizabeth?"

"Edward did. I think he feels like a constant reminder for his dad of her failure as a wife and mother. He said that he's always had to work harder to earn Carlisle's approval and that he never felt good enough," I told her honestly.

"Oh good grief!" she exclaimed, exasperation coloring her tone. "Of all the stupid things to think! Men! Carlisle adores that boy and always has. I know Carlisle loves me, but Edward is a reminder of his first love, and I can't always compete with that. Maybe this trip will do them some good, help them find themselves and each other."

A thought occurred to me, and before I could sensor myself, it popped out of my mouth. "Speaking of finding oneself, why did you encourage me to not take classes this semester?" I didn't mean for my tone to be harsh, but it was a bit.

Esme's expression flittered quickly from shock at my boldness to sadness and finally to resignation. "You've mentioned wanting to travel so much, I thought that this fall would be a good time to do so. Edward told me that he wanted to take you to London around Christmas, since he knew you wanted to go, and I thought that being in school would make that more difficult."

"Why didn't it ever occur to anyone to explain things to me?" I huffed in frustration. "Does everyone think I'm an imbecile that needs to have decisions made for me, or just that I'm incapable of understanding things?"

Again, our server had perfect timing. She slid our plates onto the table and held up two carafes of syrup. "Do you want to decide which syrup you want? We have maple and blueberry." Her expression didn't change from the bored look she'd been sporting all morning.

I giggled at her attempt at levity and pointed to the maple. She set it down and walked away without another sound. I giggled again, and Esme snorted.

"I guess this is the start of a whole new life for you, Bella," Esme giggled. "Today, maple syrup. Tomorrow, the world." We both dissolved into giggles.

After a few minutes, Esme stabbed her eggs and studied them, before popping a bite in her mouth. When she swallowed, she turned her studious gaze onto me. "You were young when you came to live with us, but you never acted like it. I've never seen you as any younger than any my other children, but I did see you as my child. I suppose that you were always so inquisitive about everything else that it never occurred to me that you wouldn't ask about the important things. When you didn't, I guess I thought you already knew or didn't want to."

I pondered her words while I chewed on my waffle. "The thing is, Esme, now I feel completely unprepared. I don't know who I am, and I don't know how to handle this situation with Edward."

"Would talking about it help? In general," she added.

I dropped my fork and fiddled with my napkin. "Part of me, you know the starry-eyed, naïve girl part, just wants to forgive Edward, believe his promises that it will never happen again, and move on. Another part of me wants to tell him that if she was good enough for him for the last two years, he can have her. That part of me wants no part of him."

"Which part is winning?" she asked non-judgmentally.

"The biggest part is winning, and that is the part that wants to discover me, get to know him, and figure out if we can move on together. Going to the Spencers was really tough. I can't forbid him from seeing her, and she's always going to be a part of our lives. Will I always wonder? Will I ever be able to trust him? I just don't know," I said honestly.

She chewed on her toast and nodded thoughtfully. "Did Edward tell you how Carlisle and I met?"

I chuckled lightly. "He said that it was an arrangement kind of like ours."

She smiled. "Yes, it was. There was never any doubt for Carlisle that I was truly much happier than I had been with Charles, no question that I was where I wanted to be. For me, though, I wondered for a long time what would happen if she showed up on our doorstep. I knew that he loved her, and it took him a long time to convince me that he loved me more. I guess what I'm saying, Bella, is that if you both want it and you work hard at it, you can make your marriage work. You can learn to trust again, as long as you are always honest with each other. You have to get it all out there, though, both of you."

I wasn't sure how she knew that I had been holding things back, for my self-protection, but I recognized the truth of her words. And coming from a woman that somewhat understood my position made it all the more helpful.

We talked more about the charity work that Esme headed up, and I decided to take a more active role in helping her run some of them. It would give me a purpose until I could return to school. Needless to say, she was thrilled with the idea.

Once we got home, Esme even joined us for the marathon of football games that filled our Sunday afternoon. My phone rang at the end of the third quarter of the Patriots-Dolphins game, and I excused myself to answer it. Esme gave me a knowing smile as I left the room.

"Hey! How's Italy?" I asked.

"_I hate Italy even more now than I did before. How's home?"_ Edward answered tiredly.

"Pretty much the same as any other Sunday," I laughed. "We're watching football. Oh, and I had Waffle House with your mom."

"_Did you have a nice time? And can you convince her to let Dad come home?"_ he begged.

"Nope, you are stuck with him!" I laughed. "We did have a nice breakfast. I'm going to start working with her a little more on some of the charities she doesn't have as much time for," I told him. "What's going on with your dad?"

"_He's trying to do the father-son bonding thing. I think he's apologized for his 'behavior' these past two weeks at least a dozen times. So, working with Mom? I thought you were taking this fall off."_

"Well, you and your mother decided that I should, and I don't want to. I feel useless sitting around the house all day," I told him honestly. In for a penny, in for a pound, I figured. "I want to find out what _I_ like and what _I_ want from my life."

He was quiet for a second. _"Then, I think helping Mom is a great idea. Are you planning to re-enroll for the spring semester?"_

"I don't know. Probably. I want to be able to take care of myself if I need to. We are going to go over which ones need additional help tomorrow morning, and I'll go from there. What did you do today?" I asked to change the subject, because I could feel Edward's tension through the phone.

He snorted. _"We went out to the factory, did a quick walk-through, and talked to some of the workers about how the 'Village' was working. As long as the stores get all their shipments, they love it, but Aro's been holding things up. Then, over lunch, Dad had me go over all the financials and issues for the last year with him, since he knew nothing about it. I don't think he realized how much work I've put into this. Caius, Aro's brother, called and asked to meet us for drinks."_

"Oh! How did that go?"

"_It was . . . enlightening. Caius, Aro's brother, does not agree with his current plan and thinks he has been sabotaging all of our operations and costing us all money. I'm going to have to check out some of the things he told us, but if they're true, it will cripple Aro even more than what I had come up with," _he said, and I could hear the passion for his work in his voice. This was a side of him that I had only seen from afar, and I was fascinated by it.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, curious and more than a little interested.

"_Hang him up by his toes and come home?"_ he joked. _"It will all depend on what I can find in the next few hours."_

I checked the time on my phone. "Isn't it almost eleven there?"

"_Yep. I would have called you when I was done, but I know the Steelers are playing at four, and I didn't want to pull you away from the game,"_ he explained.

"Well, thanks. I can't believe you thought about that!" I laughed.

He went quiet again, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and sad. _"I do notice things like that, Bella, and I do try. I know I haven't done a good job of showing it, but I'm not completely self-absorbed."_

"I didn't say that, Edward," I said softly, but indignantly.

"_You didn't have to."_ I heard a slight scuffling, and Edward said something to someone else, before speaking to me again. _"Hey, baby, I have to go. That was Dad. Can I . . . can we find some time to really talk tomorrow?"_

"Of course. I thought that was the plan, anyway." On impulse, I added, "I miss you." Because, when I thought about it, I did.

"_I miss you, too. You don't know how much. Good night, and tell everyone I said hello."_

We disconnected, and I thought for a moment about my admission. Despite all of the hurt and pain he had caused me, I did care about Edward, and I did miss him. I had gotten used to having him around, and I liked it. I still wasn't sure if I was going to be able to move on, though. Cheers from the rec room brought me back to reality, and I set aside those thoughts for later when I was alone.

As it turned out, being alone wasn't easy to achieve. Emmett and the football games kept me busy until late in the night on Sunday, and I was practically a zombie when I finally went to bed. On Monday morning, the alarm went off early, and I headed downstairs for what I thought of as my first day of work. Esme was waiting for me, and we spent the greater portion of the morning scouring different files for things that interested me.

It wasn't until late afternoon when Esme's phone rang that I came up for air. She mouthed to me that it was Carlisle, and I slipped quietly out of her office. My cell rang seconds later.

"_Hi,"_ Edward greeted me.

"Hey! Is Italy any better today?" I asked happily.

"_Did you get on a plane that I don't know about and fly here?"_ he asked wryly.

"Um, no?"

"_Then, no, Italy isn't any better."_

I giggled at his attempt at humor, and he sighed into the phone.

"_Seriously, I want to strangle someone, and I'm not sure who the leading candidate is. The information we got yesterday broke open a huge scandal, and several local politicians are implicated in bribery scams. That doesn't even cover the evidence of extortion and embezzlement that turned up. Aro has completely dropped all attempts at taking over and is now trying to keep himself out of prison,"_ he said.

"That's a good thing, right?"

"_That depends on your point of view," _he said wryly. _"It is a good thing in terms of getting our business back and running properly. It's a bad thing if, like me, you want to come home. Dad and I are going to have to reset the supply lines and find some new vendors for both the factory and the stores."_

"Oh," I answered dumbly. "So, you won't be home at the end of the week?"

"_I'll do my best, Bella, but I can't make any promises."_ His voice was weary and sad. My own hopes and emotions plummeted.

"How are things going with your dad?" I asked. The thought of him not coming home twisted in my chest and I didn't want to think about it any more.

He sighed. _"I think he's trying? We've had a lot of opportunities to talk, since there's nothing else to do here. He's asked a million questions—trying to figure out where he went wrong. Other than telling him that I fucked it all up on my own, I don't know what to say. I don't really want to talk to him about it."_

"Maybe he'll understand you better than you think. When I was talking to Esme yesterday, she pointed out a lot of similarities between our situations," I suggested.

"_Bella, my father was never stupid enough to cheat on his wife,"_ Edward said with a very high dose of self-loathing.

"No, I don't imagine that he was," I answered with a smile. It was a little mean-spirited, but there were moments that it did make me feel better when Edward was hard on himself. It saved me the trouble. "She did wonder for a long time, though, if your father really loved her, or if he was still hung up on Elizabeth. Maybe he can help with perspective."

The line fell silent, and I could hear Edward mulling my words over in his head. _"I'll think about it,"_ he finally said. _"Did you find anything good with Mom today?"_

"There are a few that look really interesting, and we've only gone through about half of her files. Some of them are sub-groups of the larger charities, but I like them. We're going to finish going through them tomorrow."

"_You're not going to tell me any more than that?" _he asked incredulously.

"No, not until I actually pick through them. I want to do this on my own, without your influence," I said seriously. "It's not that I don't value your opinion, but I don't want to be swayed any more by what I think you would like me to do. I'm doing this for me."

"_Okay,"_ he said simply.

The line went quiet again, and I didn't know what else to say. I was feeling agitated by our earlier references to his infidelity and struggling with my own desires—to be the dutiful wife, taking her husband's opinion into account, and being the independent woman who chooses things for herself. I had never really been either, and I wanted to be both. Confusion ruled my life.

"_Bella?"_

"Yeah?"

"_I know that we haven't talked that long, but it's really late here,"_ he hinted.

"Why don't you go on to bed? We aren't really talking anyway."

"_It's not that I don't want to!" _he ground out in frustration. _"This is so much easier when we are face to face!"_

"Dazzling me does usually make the conversation more favorable to you, yes," I agreed with a smile.

"_Dazzling you?"_

"Oh, please. You know the effect you have on me—on all women, really—and you use it to your advantage!"

"_I'm pleading the fifth,"_ he said jokingly.

"I see how it is. I'm on to you!"

Edward took a deep breath. _"I'm going to leave that one alone."_

"What?" I exclaimed, and then thought back over what I had just said. My face instantly flushed in mortification. "Oh my God! I didn't mean . . . It's . . ."

"_I'm just teasing you, baby. Seriously, though, I am about to crash. Call you tomorrow?"_

"That's fine. Have a good day tomorrow."

"_You, too. I miss you,"_ he said softly.

I paused before responding, and it must have been a second too long, because Edward said good-bye sadly and hung up. I just stared at my phone and wondered if this would ever get any easier.

Nothing got easier as the week progressed. My conversations with Edward were limited to a "check-in" call each evening, mostly because he was too tired to function, and I was too jumbled to instigate conversation. The knowledge that he had slept with someone else, that he had chosen someone else over me, burned and twisted my heart. When I really thought about it, as I only did when I laid down alone at night, it was more the feeling of being unwanted and the death of my romantic notions that really hurt, though. We hadn't known each other and had no real relationship to mourn the death of. Now, I knew that physically he wanted me, and in those moments that he let me see all of him, I believed that he wanted me emotionally too. I just didn't know what to do with him. I was afraid of opening myself up to him and finding that he was going to repeat his mistakes. I went to sleep nightly, thinking of exactly what I could handle and what exactly I wanted out of my relationship with Edward, as well as what exactly I wanted for myself, outside of my marriage. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well.

Wednesday morning, I woke up, ready to go out and begin finding myself. The day before, I had narrowed my choices down to eight different groups, and Esme insisted that I visit with each of them before I made my decision.

First, I met Jane McEnroe at the recreation center, where I spent time with a group of elderly residents from the neighboring nursing home. It was nice to spend time with them, but it really didn't call to me. After lunch, I drove across town to the zoo, where I met with the Director of Volunteers. They needed docents and volunteers to help with the Youth Education Classes, and they needed volunteers to help . . . maintain the facilities. The work they were doing with the kids and visitors was interesting, but I just didn't have any passion for naked mole rats and black-footed ferrets.

Esme was a little disappointed that I crossed those off, but I suggested that Emmett might find the zoo right up his alley.

Thursday morning was spent at Bally's, and it was as refreshing as always. The patients were genuinely glad to see us. We played Charades and Pictionary in the common area, and I read with some of the older children. Claire told me how much she liked Edward; I was a "lucky girl," according to her. I just smiled and thanked her, not bothering to tell her that I didn't feel like one.

Alice was waiting for me in the foyer, bouncing on the balls of her feet, when I brought Esme back home. I tried to sneak past her, but she grabbed my wrist and dragged me down the hallway to the offices.

"Close your eyes, Bella," she ordered when we stopped in front of a closed door.

"Alice, what did you do?" I asked in exasperation. I still had another group to visit this afternoon, and I was feeling less than enthused about painting with underprivileged children. It might have had something to do with my lack of skill with art supplies.

"You'll see!" she chirped.

I heard a door swing open, and she shoved me from behind. I stumbled forward and opened my eyes so that I could see to catch myself.

The room wasn't large, but it was . . . perfect. A large window faced out to the woods at the edge of the property. A small desk sat in the corner, and a grouping of puffy chairs dominated the main part of the space. Everything was warmly colored and homey.

"Alice, what is this?" I gasped as I stepped around the room.

"Your office," she said smugly.

"My . . . office?"

She stepped in front of me and caught my eye. "You wanted to get more involved, and you needed your own space to do that. I thought you would like it."

"Oh, Alice, I do!" I cried and caught her in a huge hug.

Alice laughed. "I have one more thing for you. Do you see that file over there on that desk? You should check it out." She nudged my shoulder; I walked over and sat down behind the reddish wood.

Alice's last gift was a group for me to work with. The local women's shelter encouraged the teenage girls from the neighborhood and the local high schools to come together, get to know each other without boundaries, and talk to adults in a safe place. They needed young adults to volunteer and spend time with the girls while they were in the center.

"I thought it could help you discover a little of what you missed and help you find who you want to be," Alice said softly from right behind me. I had been so engrossed in the file that I hadn't realized she'd walked up. "Esme said they have groups to help girls deal with all kinds of things like sexual abuse, relationships, career counseling, schoolwork, and lots of other things. What do you think?"

I gaped at her. "Alice, it's perfect. How did you. . . Oh, never mind. Thank you!" I stood and caught her in another hug.

"Now, does that mean you don't have to go anywhere this afternoon? I want to go shopping, and I miss you!" she whined.

I laughed loudly. "Let me tell Esme, and we'll go. You can have me for the rest of the day."

"Well, at least until Edward calls in about three hours," she teased.

With a shrug, I smiled at her, took a last look around my new office, and headed off to find Esme. She was pleased with my selection and agreed to contact New Horizons so that I could visit the next day.

Alice and I spent six hours at the mall, going through all of our favorite stores and trying on the latest fashions. She danced around in a pair of skinny jeans, which I vetoed, and a cute, collared red shirt. Then, she switched into a flowing blue gown and glided through the dressing room like she owned the place. We laughed and giggled at the wild combinations we came up with, and still managed to find some cute outfits to wear out on the town. Alice even dragged me into a thrift store where she found some awesome, chunky jewelry to complement what we'd chosen.

It wasn't until we got home at dinnertime that I realized my phone had remained silent for our entire outing. For the first time since I'd come home, an entire day had passed without contact from Edward, and I was nervous about what that meant. We were still so unsure around each other, and so many of our issues still remained unspoken.

After dinner, I trudged up to my room alone. I sank onto my bed and thought about Edward. It really bothered me that he hadn't tried to call me today. Our conversations had been strained all week, and I missed the easy banter that had accompanied our nightly chats. Really, I missed him.

Some days, Tanya was just a distant memory, and others I felt the sharp sting of the rejection acutely. My self-esteem had recovered somewhat; Edward was always clear that he found me immensely attractive. But the fact that, in two years, our relationship hadn't progressed beyond kissing wore on me. I knew that I wasn't ready to go all out, but Edward's careful restraint was firmly in place, and the lines were apparently drawn at my lips.

I groaned in frustration and booted up my computer to take my mind off of all things Edward. If he was going to discount me, I was going to do my best to do the same. I deleted the usual plethora of junk mail and opened the message from Angela. She gave me all the news from home and inquired generally how things were going with me. She was wonderful about giving me exactly what I needed. If I needed space to work things out in my head, she would sit with me in silence. If I needed a distraction, she would babble about anything and everything, and if I needed to talk, she would lend me her ear. I answered her messages as best as I could and clicked to the next one.

It was from Edward.

**Missing You**

**EACullen **to me 4:35 PM (3 hours ago)

Bella,

I picked up my phone this afternoon to call you, and I couldn't do it. I can't stand to hear the distance in your voice. I know it's all my fault, but I didn't know how else to talk to you, so I'm sending you this instead.

I'm not going to be able to come home this weekend. There were a couple of meetings that I couldn't schedule until next Monday, and I can't leave until I have them. It's so beautiful here, Bella, but it all pales without you by my side. I want to ask you to get on a plane and fly here so we can spend the weekend together, but I'm afraid you'll say no.

I know I screwed up, but I want to make it better—make us better. Tell me what to do to win you back. Just when I think things might be getting better, you pull away again. Dad says that I should just give you time and make sure that you know I care, but it doesn't feel like it's enough. You aren't the type to appreciate grand gestures, either, so I'm completely lost.

I miss you, Bella, and I really want to make this work. I want to know you and not to feel like you are always holding back. You have my number. If you want to talk, please use it, no matter what time it is.

Love,

Edward

All of the anxiety of the last few hours melted as soon as I saw his name, and my heart broke a little as I read his words. They were all true. I was pulling back to safe-guard myself, but it wasn't fair to Edward. If I wanted this marriage to work, I was going to have to make that decision and start seeing it through.

**She's finally thinking about what she wants without his influence. Hmmm . . . where do you think she's going with this? How do you think she's doing at taking back her life? Please, leave me some love and words and let me know!**

**Also, if you aren't reading Unplanned Perfection by littlecat358, or Pistols and Petticoats by saltire884, go do it. You won't regret it. **


	10. Chapter 10: Changes

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable features are the properties of their original owners and no infringement is intended. It's fan fiction people. And this story is mine. Don't steal it. **

**A/N: Wow. The response to this story never ceases to amaze me. You all are simply fantastic. I will also say that although the characters run away with the story sometimes, my original plan hasn't deviated. Maybe a line or two here or there, but, as a whole the story remains what it was always meant to be. I want to say thank you to Riss usc_mam for pre-reading this and to Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing. I know it's not easy to do and I really appreciate you all. **

**Chapter 10: Changes**

**BPOV**

I didn't go to Italy.

I did, however, stay up until two in the morning, thinking about what I wanted and how best to express it to Edward. Then, I called him.

"_Bella? Hang on just a second. Dad, you have to go to that line over there. See, it says for international flights." _I could hear Carlisle in the background arguing, and Edward huffed in frustration. _"Yeah, I love you, too, Dad. Give Mom a hug for me, okay?"_

Carlisle said something else, and I could hear movement in the background. "Hey, Edward, do you want me to call you back?" I practically shouted to make myself heard over the noise of the terminal.

"_No, baby. Please, just give me a second. I want to talk to you," _he pleaded. A few more seconds passed, and the noise decreased. _"Are you still there?"_

"I'm here. Is Carlisle on his way home?" I asked curiously. It hadn't occurred to me that when Edward said he was staying that he was doing so alone.

"_Yeah, he says that he's just getting in the way. What are you doing still up? Isn't it like two am there?"_

"Something like that. I got your email,"I said simply.

"_Oh." _Edward fell silent, but the noise of the city flowed through the phone. _"You aren't coming, are you?"_ His voice sounded sad and beaten down. I was determined not to let it deter me from what I planned to say.

"No, I'm not. And it's not because I don't miss you, because I really do. I just don't think it would be the best thing for us right now."

"_Of course not. Spending time alone in a romantic locale is a terrible idea,_" he said sarcastically.

"That's not what I mean, Edward!" I cried out in frustration.

"_Then what do you mean, Bella? You change your mind so often, it's giving me whiplash!" _he snapped.

"Excuse me?" I asked indignantly. "I'm not the one that caused this mess to begin with!"

"_Yes, I know. I did, Bella. I'll own up to that, and I'll take_ _the consequences, but I can't stay on this roller coaster. I already told you that I would do whatever it took to make it up to you, but I have to know that you want me to. If you're going to hate me and leave me anyway, why am I bothering?"_ His quiet tone was full of hurt.

I was stunned into silence. This wasn't going the way I expected it to. When I finally found my voice, it wasn't quite as strong as I was planning. "You don't get to make the decisions for us all the time. I can't just pack up and disappear to Italy because you want me to. I'm finding my life here."

"_I asked you to come. There_'s _a difference," _he insisted sadly. _"And I'm asking _you_ to make a decision. Either you want this, or you don't. You know where I stand. You know what I want."_

And despite my earlier resolve, my inner angry woman came out in full force. "Why do I have to make a decision now? You had two years to decide what you wanted, and even though you say you wanted me, you found your kicks somewhere else!"

Edward's breath caught, and I knew my jab had found its mark. It didn't bring me any happiness—just the opposite, in fact.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for," I apologized sincerely. "My emotions and thoughts are just all over the place. I'm really trying to sort it all out, but it's hard. When you're here, you distract me by reminding me how wonderful you are. Your presence is a reminder of what you did, but you try so hard to make it up that I can set it aside. But when you're gone, there's no distraction, and I think about it all the time. On one hand, my life is no different than it was before all this happened. You aren't in it. But I've changed. And instead of floating through life like I was, I want to make a difference and find out who I want to be."

"_Do I fit into that life you want, Bella?"_ he asked sadly.

"I don't know. You've not really been a big part of my life until the last month," I said carefully. "I need you here to know that."

Expletives poured out of Edward's mouth, and he gave a strangled cry. _"So, basically, you're telling me that because I had to come over here and I can't come home yet, that I might as well give up? Fuck that, Bella! That's not fair!"_

"How has any of this been fair to me, Edward?" I asked. "You made decisions about our life and our marriage without consulting me, and now it's not fair for me to ask for more time?"

I listened to him breathe on the other end. _"Are you asking for more time, or are you telling me that you're done trying?"_ he asked cautiously.

"I'm just asking for more time. I need you here to figure out if we can do this, and I can't meet you there and figure it out, because that's not reality. I need to know what our daily life will be like, and Italy isn't going to tell me that," I explained. "I need to know that I can get over this."

"_I see. Well, I'll be home in a few days then,_" he said abruptly, and I knew that I had hurt his feelings.

"Edward . . ." I whispered sadly.

"_Please don't, Bella," _he said sharply. _"I'm sorry I pushed. I'll call you later."_ His voice broke at the end. Edward disconnected before I could say anything else, and I hung my head sadly. I knew that sleep wouldn't come easily now that we had argued, and I was right. I tossed and turned until dawn.

I knew that part of my reluctance to move forward was my imagination. I didn't know what had happened between them, other than the one incident last Christmas, and while he was gone, I had conjured up a thousand scenarios, each one more outrageous than the last. Simply put, I had been afraid to ask, afraid that I wouldn't like the answer. That was stupid, though, as it was certain that I wouldn't like the answer, but it would probably be easier to stomach than the passionate embraces I had conjured up.

With a huff of frustration, I rose and got ready for my day. Esme had arranged for me to spend the majority of the day at New Horizons, since they had many different programs. Demetri was going to drop me off there at ten, so I had just a couple of hours to read up on it as much as I could.

Over breakfast, I read Esme's file and researched the organization online. I discovered that they mostly concentrated on services for women and children, though they did have some services for boys up to eighteen years of age. Women went through job training and related activities, as well as home economics courses. Self-defense classes were immensely popular, as many of the women were escaping from abusive homes.

Demetri dropped me off at the front door, and I was immediately met by Rachel Wolfe, the new director. She showed me around the entire facility and gave me a little information about the center. Most of it I knew from my research that morning, but it was nice to put a visual with it. She gave me permission to work with each group and told me to come see her if I needed anything.

Being left to my own devices was . . . daunting. I didn't know where to go first or what to do, so I just stood there in the hallway and stared at the closed doors. Eventually, I heard someone coming in my direction, and I shot into action. It wouldn't do to be caught just standing here on my first day. I opened the first door and let myself inside.

A large woman was bustling around racks of dress clothes and pulling them off in what appeared to be a haphazard manner. She thrust the stack at another woman, who immediately went off to change. I watched in awe as the first woman pinned a business suit up, and once the woman had redressed, set it on a sewing machine for alterations. When she was finished, she turned to me and smiled.

"Hello, I'm Nadya Tournikov. You are Isabella Cullen?" she asked in a heavy accented voice.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you." I shook her hand cheerfully. "Can you tell me more about what you do here?"

"Ya. The clothes, they are donated, yes? And we have these women that have nothing else to wear when they go to find jobs. I find something close and fix it to fit," she told me. Another young woman walked in and smiled at Nadya. "See, like this."

Over the next half hour, Nadya demonstrated her ability to create outfits from separate pieces and to tailor them to fit each woman that came to see her. I thought of all the clothes that hung in the closets at home and in other houses like ours. There was so much good those pieces could do, and instead, they were just gathering dust. Worn once and forgotten. I made a mental note to talk to Esme about organizing a drive.

Just before lunchtime, I took my leave from Nadya and wandered over to the kitchen area Rachel had told me about. Inside, I found about a dozen women working on various stages of a meal. Paula, the woman preventing it from falling into chaos, explained to me that many of the women that came to the center lacked basic life skills like cooking and cleaning. As part of their training, the women made meals for the attached shelter's residents and were in charge of maintaining the facilities. While I watched, I saw some of the obviously more experienced women assisting those new to the program, and they all worked together to create a decent meal for those who might not otherwise get one. The end result was actually pretty tasty, and I could see the pride in the eyes of those who had worked so hard to prepare it.

My next stop was the career counseling center. Mostly, I just got to observe the staff here in action, as it was a hive of activity. Each staffer asked a series of questions about experience and ability, to determine what kind of job would be a good fit for each applicant. Once some potential employers were identified, the counselor would help create a resume and run through some mock interview questions. I knew that some universities offered services like this, but I had never been in a position to visit, so it was a very interesting experience.

By three o'clock, I was wearing down. Having not slept much the night before, I was in desperate need of a nap. I had already seen most of the facility, and I knew that I wanted to be here in some capacity. When I arrived at Rachel's office, she was busy gathering files and paperwork for a meeting and asked me to wait at least another half hour before I headed out.

"The girls are all arriving now, and I think that is where you will find the most to do. Please don't leave before seeing them," she begged.

With drooping eyes, I acquiesced and followed her directions to the recreation hall.

The scene that met me stopped me in my tracks. Hordes of kids swarmed all over the room. Chairs were being dragged to corners and set up in groups, apparently by age. Backpacks were tossed around like bean bags, and tables were filled with those finishing homework. Boys and girls alike were moving around the room in a practiced rhythm, and the noise level was approaching defcon three.

A girl about twice my size bumped into me as she practically ran into the room, and I had to fight to keep my balance.

"Hey, yo, sorry 'bout that. You new?"

"Uh, yeah, I, um, work here," I mumbled. I wasn't sure who was in charge, as I didn't see anyone trying to tame the masses.

"Oh, cool. Come on over here and meet everyone," she said casually and waved me forward.

I followed her into the fracas, and she introduced me around a cluster of older teenage girls in one of the far corners. There were so many that I was fairly sure I'd never remember them all, but they didn't seem to mind. Discussions about the school day, mostly gossip, reined, until a sharp whistle blew through the air.

"All right, all right! Let's keep the noise level down to a dull roar, people! Get into your groups, and I'll be around," a tall, thin woman yelled to the room full of kids.

Immediately, everyone shifted into something a little more formal, and the sound dampened considerably. The tall woman came over and leaned into the circle we had formed. "Okay, girls, topic for today is . . ." She tossed her head around like she was trying to come up with something. "Nutrition! You have one and a half hours." She moved on to the next group, and I raised my eyebrows at the girls sitting around me.

One that I thought was named Tina spoke up. "Every day, she gives us a topic to discuss. We go over all the different aspects of it and learn from each other. Some days are more interesting than others," she added.

I laughed with the rest of them, and for the rest of the hour, we giggled and talked about what different foods were good and bad. The infamous aphrodisiacs had a place in our discussion, but we really couldn't figure out what other value oysters had in the female diet, since we couldn't eat the shell for the calcium. Several of the girls had no idea that dark green vegetables were also high in calcium and could prevent cancer. I saw the value of this system, because coming from their peers, they were much more receptive.

And I had found it. This was my place. At the end of the hour, I approached the tall woman in charge.

"Isabella Cullen? Rachel told me to look for you down here. I'm Kate Bartlett." She held out her hand to me, and I shook it eagerly.

"It's nice to meet you. This is quite the set-up you have down here," I told her with a little laugh.

She returned my laugh with a hearty one of her own. "It certainly is. When we first started it a year and a half ago, there were like ten kids that came here regularly. Now, there are more than a hundred here on any given day. The group that you were with today is the one that needs the most . . . supervision, per se. I would love to have someone spend more time with them, but I just don't have the time."

"They are a lively group," I agreed. "What do you need me to do?"

Her smile was wide, and I knew that I had said the right thing. "I'd like to be able to move them somewhere a little quieter and have someone be able to moderate things more. They have a tendency to get off track."

"How often?"

"Well, every day would be great, but I know that isn't realistic. Can we shoot for a couple of days a week?" Kate asked.

"I can do that," I said, and I felt a rush of happiness. This was something I was meant for. I didn't know why yet, but I could feel it.

With Kate and Rachel, I worked out a schedule. The best days to reach the most girls were Monday and Wednesday, so those were the days that I agreed to come. I would be there from two-thirty until five, and we would set up our own little room off the main floor. That way, when our topics became more sensitive, prying ears were less likely to be a deterrent to honesty. I also suggested that we put in a "topic box," so the girls could suggest the things that were of interest to them, without the accompanying social pressure. Kate thought it was a fantastic idea and promised to have the girls that were there make one over the weekend. Rachel also gave me a volunteer handbook and a guide book, since I would be the one in charge. It was a daunting prospect, but I was really looking forward to it.

I also couldn't wait to tell Edward. When I didn't hear from him all evening, I booted up my laptop and wrote him an email.

**Re: Missing You**

**Bellybird** to EACullen **7:38 pm October 19**

Edward,

I'm sorry that we argued this morning and that I couldn't just jump on a plane to Italy. I do miss you, and I cannot wait for you to come home. Please come home soon.

Today, I went to New Horizons, and I think I've found my place. They have me moderating for a group of teenage girls, and I really like them. It's kind of an open forum for them to discuss different topics and get real information, not just friendly gossip. Today, we talked about nutrition. Not the most naturally entertaining topic, but they made it really fun.

Thanks for giving me the time I need. We've come a long way in the last month, but it's a lot for me to process and adjust to. I know now that you cared all along, but to me, it's as if we are starting all over again, because I didn't know then.

I miss you.

Love,

Bella

I hit send and went back downstairs to spend some time with Rose, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper.

A slamming door woke me early on Saturday morning, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I had left my laptop open and could see that Edward hadn't replied to my message, so I went downstairs to find the source of the commotion.

"Where is he, Esme?" Tanya yelled. Her hands were flailing, and she wasn't nearly as put together as usual.

I slunk back against the staircase and watched as Esme tried to herd Tanya back toward their offices. Alice had the same idea and was watching with wide eyes.

"I told you, Tanya, that Edward is out of town and won't be back for several days. Why don't we go back to Carlisle's office and discuss this?" Esme said in a voice of forced calm.

Tanya screwed up her mouth and nodded stiffly in acknowledgement. Esme pushed her in the direction and followed her closely. A glance in our direction told me clearly that she knew we were there.

"What in the hell is going on?" I whispered furiously to Alice.

"I have no idea. She showed up here about a half hour ago and started tearing the house apart looking for Edward. Something about money," she answered.

I chuckled humorlessly. It seemed that the proverbial shit was hitting the fan, and he wasn't even here to get covered with it. Alice and I slipped down the staircase and ran in our socked feet to the kitchen. The last thing I wanted to do was to get cornered by her this morning. I had enough issues as it was, and I didn't need _her _clouding my judgment.

Alice and I ate a leisurely breakfast and discussed our plans for the day. Jasper was taking Alice on a date and wouldn't tell her where they were going, and according to Alice, Rose and Emmett were meeting some old friends for drinks. I thought it was interesting that neither of them were staying here with Tanya and Alice told me that she had no desire to spend time with Tanya. I contemplated calling Angela and asking her to come down for a girl's night, since I didn't want to take a chance on being stuck at home alone with Tanya, and Alice agreed that it was a great idea.

Luckily for me, Angela also thought it was a great idea and said that she could get here in time for dinner. Afterwards, we were going to hit a movie. Relieved to have plans made and confirmed, Alice and I ventured into the rec room. Rose was sitting in the recliner, and I could just see the back of Tanya's blonde head on the couch. We hung back, debating whether to leave, but my feet just wouldn't leave the site of the train wreck.

". . . don't know what I'm going to do, Rose," she wailed. "There's money missing from the accounts, and he's blaming it _all_ on me. I didn't take it, and I don't know who did!"

"How did it happen?" Rose asked more patiently than I ever could have.

"That's just it. When I took over the direct management, the bank accounts were all as they should have been. Stephan and I are the only ones with direct access to them, and he has no more idea than I do. It looks like someone is taking in the money and shorting the deposits, but I have no way to prove who is doing it. It's not like the same person always makes the short deposits. Stephan and I are the only constants," she explained tearfully. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"What did Edward say when we were up there?" Rose led. She wasn't involved in this side of the family business and had been kept somewhat out of the loop.

"Basically, he told Dad that we had thirty days to figure it out, or we would have to repay it."

"And how much are we talking?"

"Fifty thousand," Tanya whispered.

I practically choked. I had no idea that the accounts had been _that_ short, but it certainly explained Edward's stress over the situation.

"Holy fuck, Tanya! How do you lose _fifty_ thousand dollars?" Rose cried in astonishment.

"That's just it, Ro. I don't know! I didn't take it, and Stephan says he didn't. Mom and Dad are going to make me pay it back personally, and I don't have access to any cash right now," Tanya said sullenly.

"Why? You've always kept a lot of money in your account. What did you do with it?" Rose asked.

Tanya huffed and said acidly, "I had to pay some unexpected bills lately."

"Unexpected bills that depleted your account? What in the hell did you buy?" Rose scoffed.

When Tanya didn't answer right away, the pressure in my chest mounted, and as the seconds ticked by, I found it harder and harder to keep quiet. Eventually, it got to be too much.

"Clothes," I said pleasantly and stepped forward into the light. "She bought clothes. Don't you remember our shopping trip a few weeks ago, Rose?"

Tanya's expression twisted into a snarl before she could smooth it out, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

Rose rolled her eyes. "She puts them on account and pays them later."

"That she did. Using Edward's credit card," I said with emphasis. Rose sucked in a breath. "When he denied the charges, the stores made her pay immediately."

"How long have you been eavesdropping?" Tanya spat.

I shrugged. "Just a couple of minutes. You should know better than to have conversations in _this_ room that you don't want overheard. I seem to overhear you a lot."

Her face paled slightly and lost some of its ugly twist. "Bella . . ."

"Save it," I said dismissively, mostly because I didn't want to hear anything else come out of her mouth that could slay me. "Why did you come here, Tanya? Did you think Edward was going to have some magical solution for you?"

She shrugged and seemed to shrink into the couch.

"He doesn't have one. You should go home." I turned and walked out of the room, still holding my head up on the outside, but I was a bundle of nerves inside. I couldn't believe I had just done that. Who was this strong chick, and where did she come from?

She didn't stick around long, though, because as soon as I was clear of the rec room door, I scampered back to my room and fell backwards on the bed. Once I had regained my senses, I tiptoed over to Edward's room and locked the door from the inside. She had already been in there once today, and I wasn't taking the chance that she could come back. I planned to lock my own door when I left, as well.

I was still hiding in my room when Angela arrived for our girl date. Her eyes were round and shocked when she knocked on my door, and I nodded to let her know I would explain once we were on our way. She didn't let it lie long. As soon as we both shut our doors and put the car in drive, she faced me and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, tell me that isn't Cunty McCuntiness?" she said seriously. How, I'll never know, because as soon as the words left her mouth, I busted out laughing.

"Cunty McCuntiness? Ang, that's priceless! Oh, dear Lord!" I cackled.

She couldn't hold a straight face either, and joined me with belly laughs of her own. When we finally recovered, she leveled me with that stare again. "So is it?"

I sighed. "Oh yeah. It's her. She showed up this morning, looking for Edward, like he was going to make all her problems go away," I grumbled.

"Well, no wonder you wanted me to drive up here. I don't blame you at all. How long is she staying? And when is Edward coming back?" she asked in rapid fire succession.

"I don't know the answer to either of those questions. I told her to leave earlier, but I don't think I'm that lucky. Edward is stuck in Italy at least until sometime on Monday. He asked me to fly over and spend the weekend with him, but I told him no. Now, I'm wishing I hadn't. I would so much rather spend the weekend with him than her."

"Girl, why did you say no to a trip to Italy?" Angela asked, flabbergasted.

"It just doesn't seem right to go on a romantic trip right now. We aren't there yet," I tried to explain and shrugged.

She inclined her head to indicate that she saw my point, but didn't say anything else. For some reason, Angela thought the whole situation—except for the cheating part—was incredibly romantic. Even though she had heard so much about the trials over the years, she still refused to give up the notion. I just left her to her fantasies.

Once we were properly seated in the restaurant, I asked about Ben and listened to her gush about him for several minutes. Then, I remembered that I had never told her about my date with Edward the week before, and I launched into the story. I barely recalled eating my food, because we were so engrossed in our conversation. In fact, we were so chatty that we almost missed the movie, making it with only minutes to spare.

Back when I still lived at home, Angela and I would always go see the new Disney movies as they came out. It was sort of a tradition for us. There weren't any good ones playing this late in the year, though, so we picked some romantic comedy that was supposed to be the new _Pretty Woman. _It wasn't. We did laugh a lot, although it was more at the really bad acting than at the plot or the writing. At one point, the old lady sitting behind us threw popcorn at the screen and yelled, "Boo!" It took everything I had to stay in my chair and not fall to the floor laughing.

We were still making fun of it when we crept into the house, trying not to wake the other occupants. Angela gave me a funny look when I had to unlock my bedroom door, and I simply said, "Cunty McCuntiness," before we both dissolved into giggles again.

It was late, and Angela had to be back early for her twin brothers' birthday party, so we decided to call it a night. We crawled into my big bed, fighting the occasional giggle, and fell asleep quickly.

The next morning, Angela left as soon as the sun came up. Tanya's car was still parked out front, so I prepared myself to spend the day holed up in my room. I had hoped to have a reply from Edward, but my inbox was conspicuously empty. I idly wondered how much damage I had done and if it could be repaired. I didn't want to spend the rest of our lives on eggshells, but I didn't want to give up, either. I'd always wonder what could have been if I did. There was just something about Edward, and there always had been. Sure, I'd had my romantic notions about the whole situation, but there was just this pull towards him that had never diminished.

Once I had scrounged up some breakfast, I settled into my favorite chair and whiled away the day with my nose in a book. I didn't even really notice the passage of time, until Alice knocked on my door and asked if I was coming down to dinner. She apologized to me that Tanya was still there. Apparently, they had all told her that she needed to go home, but she was steadfastly refusing to leave. And she was just hanging around them even though Rose was the only younger member of the Cullen family that was speaking to her with any degree of civility.

Dinner was a very subdued affair. Carlisle kept shooting looks between Tanya and me, and was so tense that I was afraid a single word might make him snap. For my part, I just ate my dinner and excused myself back to my room. Emmett complained that I had missed all the games, but I didn't really want to hang out. I wasn't going to be chased away from my house, but I wasn't going to be forced to endure her company, either.

Once back in my room, there was an email in my box from Edward. It simply stated that he would be home tomorrow and listed his flight information. I noted with satisfaction that, because of the time difference, he would be home before I had to leave for New Horizons. I wondered if I could convince him to come with me.

I didn't sleep well again that night. Around four in the morning, I awoke in a panic, unable to breathe. There was nothing to trigger my alarm, though, and I eventually settled back down. At eight, the pounding on my door was ceaseless.

"Bella! Get up!" Emmett yelled as his fist collided with the hard wood. Emmett wasn't usually still at home at this hour, so I was instantly jolted into a high state of awareness.

I jumped out of bed and threw on my robe, before unlocking the door and pulling it open. "Jesus Christ, Emmett. You scared me. What's wrong?"

"Do you know what flight Edward is on?" he asked with barely controlled panic.

My own alarm instantly reared again, and I remembered my nighttime terror. "Yeah, he sent it to me. What is it, Emmett?"

Emmett swallowed hard. "Just get it for me, Bells."

I ran to the computer and printed off his message. "What's going on, Emmett?" I demanded when he started swearing heavily. "Tell me now!"

"There was a plane crash, Bella. A Delta flight out of Rome."

My world went black.

When I came back to, I was back in my bed, and Esme sat next to me with red-rimmed eyes. She smoothed the hair out of my face and gave me a watery smile.

"Tell me it wasn't his flight, Esme," I croaked.

"I can't," she whispered around the lump in her throat. "Carlisle's been calling the airline, trying to confirm whether he was on the manifest, but they won't release any information. It was a water landing, so they think there might be survivors."

A sob broke from my throat, but I held back the tears as best I could. I wouldn't believe it. Not until the officials called. My heart told me he was still alive, and I had to believe that.

I swallowed hard and sat up. "Then that is what we are going to pray for." I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, and my feet hit the floor. I needed to do something. Esme seemed to understand my need; she helped me root through my drawers and find a comfortable pair of jeans. I ran over to Edward's room and found a gray hoodie that he had left behind. I had nothing else to cling to, and I had to be strong.

Alice was a mess. Jasper was doing his best to buoy her spirits, but her eyes were glued to the footage that was streaming in from the helicopters surveying the scene. Debris floated everywhere, but the fuselage was gone. Rosalie refused to even look at the television, but kept asking for updates every three minutes anyway. Carlisle hadn't left his study since the news came across the wire, and Esme spent most of her time in there with him. The one time I poked my head in, he looked haunted and aged.

Tanya was still here. She camped out in the rec room and didn't say much to anyone, which was fine with me. This day was hard enough without her mouth running. Emmett, though, was my rock. He did his best to keep everyone's spirits up and was determined that Edward hadn't been on the flight. He claimed that there was no way Edward had made an eleven o'clock flight, and that we would all be surprised when he came waltzing in the door. When hour after hour passed with no word from Edward or the airline, even his enthusiasm began to flag.

A black seed of doubt crept into my heart and took root. What if he was dead? What would I do? My chest felt tight, and an unimaginable pain rocked through me for the second time that day. Despite all that had happened and hadn't happened, between us, I knew his death would destroy me. Somehow, he had become essential to me in a way I didn't know was possible. I wasn't ready to forgive him, but I really cared for him. Tears poured from my eyes as I hid in my office. The hours kept growing longer and longer. It wasn't until I saw that it was nearly two in the afternoon that I remembered New Horizons was expecting me in thirty minutes.

I picked up the phone.

"_Rachel Wolfe speaking,"_ she answered on the first ring.

"Rachel, this is Bella Cullen," I managed to force out through my rapidly constricting throat.

"_Oh! How are you today, Bella? The girls are so excited about your sessions starting today!"_ she said cheerfully.

"Can we postpone those, Rachel? There's, there's been an emergency," I stuttered.

"_Bella? Is everything okay? What happened?" _she asked with true concern.

"I honestly don't know yet. My husband was on his way home from Italy, and—"

"_Oh God. I saw the news story earlier. Stay. Be with your family, and if there is anything I can do, anything at all, please, please let me know,"_ she said sincerely.

"Thanks, Rachel. And let the girls know that I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

"_Don't worry about it," _she assured me.

When we hung up, I didn't feel the expected relief. Taking care of my responsibilities paled in comparison to the gnawing ache that had set up residence in my chest. I poked my head into Carlisle's office and told him and Esme that I was going back up to my room for a little while. I didn't want to be around anyone.

As I lay on my bed, I replayed every single memory I could conjure up of Edward. His smiles, his frustrated grimaces, and his nervous habits all registered one by one. If this was all I would ever have, I wanted it to be ingrained in my memory. Tears poured onto my bedspread as I lay there, worrying and wallowing. A small part of my mind registered a slight uptick in the turmoil downstairs. We had been waiting for hours for news, and I knew that some had come. I could wait for it just a little longer. I didn't want my hope to die.

I steeled myself for the worst possible news, and I promised myself that I wouldn't fall apart. No one came for me, and I really couldn't blame them. Who wants to be the one to tell the wife that her husband isn't coming home, that she's now a widow? One by one, I took the steps that would take me closer to the truth, and with each step came a deep breath. I concentrated on the floor so that I didn't fall and make things worse.

I could hear them all talking at the foot of the stairs, but the words were just a tone in my ears; I couldn't define the sounds. It wasn't until I was half-way down the staircase that I realized I hadn't heard crying and that what sound there had been stopped.

My eyes searched out the scene, and I held my breath as I stopped moving. Everyone was clustered in the foyer, and Esme _was_ crying. But they weren't sad tears.

There, in the center of it all, stood Edward. He was travel worn and haggard, but his bright green eyes locked with mine, and the world stopped spinning. With a strangled sob, I sprinted down the rest of the stairs and leapt straight for him. His arms opened, and he caught me against his broad chest and held me so tightly, as if he was afraid to let go. My whole body was shaking, and my legs gave out in relief, but Edward never faltered. He held me close and hoisted me all the way up into his arms. I wrapped my weakened legs around his body and buried my head in his neck.

"Oh, Bella . . ." he murmured softly.

"I was so scared," I breathed into his neck so softly, but I knew he heard me.

"I know. I'm here," he said simply.

Conversation sprung up around us, and I could feel the rumble of Edward's chest as he responded, but he never let me go. I tuned it all out and concentrated on the feel of him in my arms, knowing that I almost lost it.

"Not now," Edward said softly to someone else, and I listened closer.

"But Edward, we need to—"

"Dad, I said _not now_," Edward said more firmly. "I'm taking my wife upstairs for awhile. We'll deal with it later."

I didn't hear the response, if there was one. Edward was climbing the steps, still holding me.

I tried to pull back a little. "I'll walk," I whispered to him.

"I'd rather you didn't," he answered. "I've got you."

I nodded slightly and rested my head back on his shoulder. Within minutes, we had stopped again, and Edward shifted me so that he could open the door. It didn't budge.

"Baby?" he said softly. "Why is my door locked?"

I giggled, despite the situation, or maybe because of it. My emotions were all over the place. "I had to lock it to keep _her_ out," I told him matter-of-factly. "You can go through my room."

He chuckled. "Fair enough." I slid my legs down so that I could walk the final few feet, and he reluctantly let me down. He did grab my hand and tow me back to my door. Gently, he pushed it open, and we walked in together.

I expected him to drop my hand and go unlock his door. He didn't, though. He turned, shut my door quietly, and then tugged me to the bed.

"Can I just hold you for a few minutes?" he asked, his eyes warm, concerned, and a little fearful.

I nodded, and we crawled up the bed together. My head found its spot against his shoulder, and his arms wound around me. Within minutes, the sleepless nights and the stress of the day caught up to me, and I fell fast asleep.

**I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that no one saw this coming, right? I mean, I didn't even know it was going to happen until my fingers wrote it with little input from my brain. As always, hit the button and let me know what you think. **

**Also, I have been nominated for two, count 'em two, Avant Garde awards—Best Emmett and Best Story that Makes you Cry. I am truly honored that someone considered this little ditty worthy of an award. That said, round one voting starts on the 20****th****, so please spread the word. There are lots of great stories there that deserve a mention. **


	11. Chapter 11: Requests

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable things in this chapter belong to their respective owners. This story is mine. Please don't use it without my permission. **

**A/N: Thank you. That's first. Thank you to everyone that reads this story and spreads the word. I appreciate each comment, and each rec. It means the world to me. Thank you to Riss usc_mam for pre-reading, and to Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing this beast. They are super ladies and I love them!**

**Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the States. I hope everyone can find lots to be thankful for this year. I know I can. To the rest of you, may you eat well tomorrow and think of the blessings in your life any way. On with the show. **

**Chapter 11: Requests**

**EPOV**

"_Shit!"_ I screamed internally as I looked at my watch for the fifteenth time in the last twelve minutes. My first meeting of the day had run over, and now this one was, too. Unless I left now, there was very little chance of me making my flight home. I was so aggravated I was close to pulling my hair out.

Antonio Baldacci finally finished perusing the contract and signed it with a flourish. With Caius' help, we had ferreted out all of the corrupt players in Aro's scheme and replaced them. Caius had even accepted a lesser role, in exchange for not including him in our prosecution. And now, I was tired, lonely, and ready to go home.

Baldacci had his driver take me to the airport. We wove madly in and out of traffic trying to make it on time. My flight was supposed to leave at eleven am, local time, and it was already ten-forty when we pulled up to the departure entrance. I yanked my bags out of the car and ran full out to the security gate. The woman on duty rifled through my bag in less than thirty seconds and sent me on my way. I was sweating bullets and praying that I could run to the gate fast enough. I was out of luck, though. The gangway doors had sealed just as I walked up.

"Fuuuck!" I moaned, sinking into the plastic chair next to the check in desk. I dropped my head into my hands and ran through every swear word that I knew in my head. Bella was going to be pissed if I let her down again and I didn't want to hurt her again. This trip had already strained the tentative peace that we had found. I could hear the stress in her voice increase as the week went on, and I had no idea what I was going home to. It was only four am at home, so I couldn't even call to tell her.

"Signore? Tutto bene?" _Sir? Are you all right?_

I lifted my head and attempted to smile at the olive-skinned woman in front of me. "No. Ah . . . ho perso, il mio volo." _ No. Ah . . . I missed my flight. _My Italian wasn't great, and I was extremely tired. She was a flight attendant, I noticed, and I hoped that meant she spoke English.

"Ah. Perhaps I can help?" she asked with a smile, waving me over to the counter. I handed her my ticket and listened as her long fingernails clacked against the keys. She huffed once and typed more furiously, her eyes following the text rapidly across the screen.

"Here!" she cried triumphantly. "Other flight leaves in forty minutes from gate over there." She pointed across the walkway. "Lay-over in London, but you get home."

"Thank you!" I gave her a genuine smile and darted across the terminal. Fortunately, the new flight was already boarding, and I took my seat on the plane. I had the window for the flight to Heathrow, and I leaned against it, intent on taking a nap during the short flight.

"Hi there!" a very bright voice said loudly, startling me out of my almost sleep. I cracked open my eyes and saw a young girl, about eleven years old, with reddish-blonde pigtails standing next to me. "These are my mom's and my seats. Can I sit next to you?"

"Sure," I said hesitantly, but she didn't seem to notice.

She plopped down next to me and started regaling me with stories of all the things she and her family had done while in Rome. Sarah—that was her name—was extremely cheerful and very willing to share. I tried my best to look interested, but I wasn't sure that she would notice if I wasn't. Her mother just looked grateful that she wasn't on the receiving end of the torrent for once. I wasn't particularly sorry to see her go in London, and I just prayed that she wouldn't be on my connecting flight. She had said she was heading home to Dallas, but with the way airlines routed people, I couldn't be sure.

The attendant that changed my flight in Rome mentioned that I had a layover in London. She didn't bother to fill in the detail that I only had _twenty_ minutes to get to the other plane. I supposed it wasn't something she ever had to worry about, since the planes couldn't leave without their crews, but the trek through the airport crowds was not an experience I ever wanted to repeat again.

Neither was the flight in from London. I had the aisle seat, so I got bumped every time someone passed to go to the bathroom, and my legs didn't quite fit in the confines of coach. We hit turbulence somewhere over the Atlantic and were forbidden from moving for three hours of the almost nine hour flight. The only plus side was that it meant I got to stretch my feet in the aisle.

I tried to sleep, but Bella's phone call on Friday morning kept replaying in my head. Her accusations hit their mark, and the bitter bile crept into my throat. I should have done a lot of things differently, like consulting her on our relationship, taking time to get to know her, and staying far away from Tanya. Maybe my efforts were too little, too late. She was trying to find her life and wasn't sure if I had a place in it. It was ironic, really, considering I had lived my own life without giving her the place in it that she deserved.

Fuck, I needed to see her.

Despite the bad weather, we made it in just before three o'clock local time, and I felt like I'd been run over. I had been up for nineteen hours, and if I knew my mother, there would be no time for rest when I got home. Briefly, I considered finding a motel for the night, but my eagerness to get to Bella overruled it. My car was where I left it in the long term parking lot, and I instantly turned up the heat to ward off the chilly, mid-October temperatures and put on my iPod to distract me. Traffic was light, since rush hour wasn't yet upon me, and I sped home quite a bit faster than the law allowed.

I always found it strange the way my brain catalogued changes and oddities upon returning home from a long trip. All of the cars were in their spots, and there was a familiar extra out front. Jasper and Emmett were rarely home at this hour, and there was no reason for any of the Spencers to be here. A million scenarios flashed through my mind, and I struggled through the front door, tired and dragging my luggage, wondering who was hurt. I couldn't think of another reason for my parents to let Tanya near Bella. My phone had been off for the better portion of the day, and I instantly considered that I should have checked it at some point.

I glanced around the foyer, but it was empty. There was nothing and no one to tell me what was going on. Then, without warning, Dad and Mom appeared from the office corridor. Dad was sagging under the weight of some unknown grief, and Mom was doing her best to carry him through it and shoulder her own. Their emotions were etched on their faces, and my own panic surged.

"Mom? Dad? What's going on?" I asked, and the sound echoed lightly off the walls.

Mom's head snapped up immediately, and her face was a kaleidoscope of feelings. Dad's was slower to move, but I saw relief displayed upon his visage.

"Edward!" Mom cried, running across the hall. Her body collided with mine, and I held her tightly. Dad hobbled over and wrapped his arms around both of us.

"Oh, thank God," he whispered over and over.

"What's going on?" I asked again. "Why are you limping, Dad?"

Mom started blubbering, and I had a hard time keeping up. "You . . . and . . . plane. Ocean . . . never see you again!" She started wailing again and clutched me tighter.

I raised my eyebrows at Dad over her head, and he gave me a watery chuckle. I gestured towards his leg, and he shrugged.

"It fell asleep. I've been on the phone with the airlines all morning," he said simply.

"Why?" I was still completely confused.

He gave me a piercing look and sighed. "Your plane crashed in the early morning over the mid-Atlantic."

My chest caved in, and I exhaled roughly. "Oh, God. I, I missed my flight and had to catch a later one."

"See, I told you he missed his flight," Emmett called out as he trailed the rest of my siblings into the room. "It's good to have you home, brother." I shook his hand, and Mom detached so that Rose and Alice could hug me as well. Alice was particularly fierce.

Jasper held out his hand as well, but gave me a cutting look. "Next time, a phone call, text, _something_ would be nice."

I nodded, a little bewildered by the news and the reception I was getting. It didn't escape my notice, though, that Bella wasn't here.

Tanya strolled in from the rec room instead, and I gripped Alice tighter, willing her not to let me go.

"Tanya," I said politely, and inclined my head in greeting. Her responding smile was shaky, and I wished, not for the first time, that I had never touched my friend. I feared that we would never get back the easy camaraderie because of it, and I suspected that, if Bella stayed in my life, she would never allow it.

My eyes were busy scanning, hoping that I had missed Bella's small figure in the mass of bodies, when a slight thump shifted my eyes up the stairs. There she was, my beautiful girl, with shock and pain covering her face. Her eyes found and held mine for a split second, before she launched herself at me. I disentangled myself from Alice just in time to catch her. Her arms wound around my neck, and she clutched me to her, as if she feared I was a mirage. I was just glad to have her in my arms again. It might have been minutes or hours, I didn't know, that we stood there ensconced in our own little bubble, but the rest of the family melted away.

Bella sobbed into my shoulder and mumbled, "I was so scared."

"I know. I'm here," I assured her and gripped her tighter. If that is what I had to do, I would never let her go.

"Why didn't you call?" Rosalie asked in her usual blunt way. "We were worried sick!"

"I had no idea! It's not like they tell you about plane crashes while you're flying on one," I retorted. "I thought someone was hurt since the Spencers' car was here."

"I need to talk to you," Tanya said quietly.

"Not now," I told her and breathed my Bella in.

Dad cut in and tried to intercede, but I cut him off and informed them in no uncertain terms that I was going upstairs with Bella, alone, and that we would see them all later. She seemed to need my attention more than they did at the moment anyway.

Bella tried to wriggle out of my grip and to tell me that she could just walk, but I wasn't ready to let go of her just yet. When I told her so, she snuggled back into my arms, and I made straight for my room. I had to shift Bella to get the door open, and I was surprised to find that it was locked.

"Baby? Why is my door locked?" I asked gently.

She giggled and then sniffed. "I had to lock it to keep _her_ out," she said, and I had no doubt as to who she meant. "You can go through my room."

"Fair enough." Bella wriggled out of my grasp so she could walk to her room, but I wasn't ready to be apart from her, so I grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

Once we got inside, Bella seemed to pull into herself, and she looked at the far end of the room, towards the study. I didn't see anything, so I just shut the door and pulled her over to the bed with me.

"Can I just hold you for a few minutes?" I asked, afraid that she would reject me just as I'd gotten home. Instead, she nodded and allowed me to lay down next to her. It didn't take long for her fall asleep with her head on my shoulder and my arms around her. It was the most at peace I had felt in a long time, even more so than the last time I had gotten to hold her, and I dozed off as well.

The room was quite a bit darker when I woke, and Bella still slept beside me. She had twisted a little, but it had only scooted her closer. I knew that I had missed her, but I hadn't realized quite how much. Despite how much my misguided decisions had torn us apart, for now, she was still here. I watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest and the slight fluttering of her eyelids. In hindsight, I had no idea how or why I had denied both of us this comfort for so long. Had I really thought so little of my restraint and our ability to grow as a couple?

Bella started to stir, and she blinked sleepily at me. She blushed deeply and looked around the room. "Sorry, I didn't know I was so tired," she mumbled through a yawn.

"You've had a long day," I murmured. "And I didn't mind at all." I squeezed her a little bit and kissed the top of her head.

Bella sat up suddenly and hit me on the chest. "Don't you _ever_ do that to me again! Do you understand me? I thought I'd lost you!"

"I'm sorry. I had no idea you'd be so worried. When I missed my flight, you were still sleeping, and all I was thinking about was how to get home to you faster," I said. "Did . . . did it really upset you?"

She thought about it for a second longer than I was comfortable with, but she held up her hand—a silent plea for me to give her a moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and she stared at her hands. "I spent the first two years of our marriage feeling like an outsider to you. I never let anyone, other than Angela, know that our marriage wasn't as picture perfect as it seemed. I figured if I bided my time, that you would realize that I was waiting for you. Then, my world imploded. I wanted to hate you. I wanted to leave and never look back."

She took a breath and lifted her face to look at me. "You once asked me to explain what I meant when I said that my parents' house was no longer home. When I got there, I found that I'd changed without knowing it and that my parents had their own lives. I felt like my life was just a game, and there was no one playing with _me._ This last month, though, you've proven me wrong. Every day, you shared some of yourself with me, even the stuff that wasn't pretty. You wanted me to know you, and I let you in, despite my better judgment. And today, when I thought you'd left me again, it almost killed me."

"Bella . . ." I breathed. I could hear the pain in her voice, and it broke my heart.

"That doesn't mean I've forgiven you," she added fiercely. "Because I haven't."

"I understand," I agreed. "Do you think you ever can?"

She nodded. "Maybe one day. Today, though, I'm just really glad you're home."

I smiled. "Me, too."

Then, I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. It started simple and sweet, just the joining of two people at a special point. Our mouths moved together, and instinctively, my tongue swept over our lips. Bella's lips opened slightly, and her tongue peeked out, grazing mine. She jumped a little at the contact, but her lips opened wider, and our tongues tentatively explored each other. My arms gathered her closer to me, and one of my hands cradled her neck. Our lips moved against each other, sometimes breaking apart and others, trying to get even closer.

Eventually, we pulled back, and I ended the kiss with several chaste kisses on her soft lips. I rested my forehead against hers, closed my eyes, and breathed her in.

"Mmm." The sound was music to my ears. "That was . . . wow."

"You liked that?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yeah," she whispered, blushing, but smiling.

"Not like face-eating?" I teased.

She pulled back and tried to glare at me, but her grin betrayed her. "Don't be an ass!"

I just gave her a lop-sided smile and kissed her again lightly. "Are you hungry?"

She shrugged, but her stomach rumbled loudly. "I guess I could eat," she laughed.

"Do you want me to have something brought up?" I offered.

"No, I've kept you from the family long enough. We should go downstairs," she said ruefully and made a face.

I grimaced. "How long has Tanya been here?"

"She showed up on Saturday morning looking for you. She thinks you're going to help her fix things," she told me with a definite edge in her voice.

I sighed. "Of course she does. Tanya's never had to do anything for herself. When we were little, they lived closer. Did you know that?"

Bella shook her head and cocked it to the side.

"Well, they did, and she got picked on a lot. She was small, a little pudgy, and not very bright when she was a kid, and the other kids exploited that. Dad told me that, as a gentleman, I should stand up for her, so I did. _Every day_. That's how we got to be friends. Eventually, they left her alone and she made some other friends, but we stayed close. And every time something doesn't go the way she thinks it should, she comes to me to fix it," I explained. "We've been friends for a very long time."

"And lovers," Bella reminded me with a catch in her voice.

"Yes, that, too," I said sadly. I rose and held out my hand so that we could walk down to dinner.

Bella continued to sit on the edge of the bed and stare at the floor.

"Here's the thing, Edward," she said haltingly. "I don't like her. I get that you all are friends, but she doesn't see the situation like you do, and she's not going to stop trying. I don't have any right to tell you who to be friends with, so I'll leave it at this. I don't want you alone with her any more. It would be hard enough to move past it with her completely out of the picture, but with her in it, it's almost impossible. She's a constant reminder, and it doesn't help that she thinks that she is going to keep getting to you."

I walked over and stood between her legs, once again lifting her face to mine. The pain in her eyes was like a liquid fire burning my soul. I hated that I had put it there. "You have every right to ask that of me, Bella. I betrayed your trust, and that is one of the consequences. I'll do my very best to honor that, okay?"

She nodded and stood next me. We clasped our hands and returned to the rest of the family.

Mom had always liked to throw a party, and my safe return was the perfect reason for a huge family dinner in her mind. Several roasted chickens, and bowls of vegetables, rice, and gravy dotted the table. Everyone was in their seats, waiting for us, and Dad raised his eyebrows when we walked in hand in hand.

"Good! You're here. I don't have to send Alice up after you," Mom said happily. "Dinner's ready."

"And it's about time," Emmett intoned. "I'm starving!"

"Em, you're always starving," I teased. I sank into my chair and practically pulled Bella down next to me. I wasn't willing to let go of her hand until the very last minute, and neither, it seemed, was she.

He conceded, and Dad shushed us all so that he could pray over the meal. The intense relief of my family was palpable in the air, and I was grateful to be so cared about. We all bantered back and forth while filling our bellies, though I did notice Bella being rather quieter than normal. Gently, I reached over, gave her hand a gentle squeeze and shot her a concerned look. She just gave me a small smile and shook her head. I wasn't sure if that was her way of saying that we would talk about it later, but I definitely intended to.

"This meal was delicious, Mom," I told her as I swallowed my last bite. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Edward. Thank you for missing your flight," she replied a little snarkily.

"Like there was any question about that," Emmett scoffed. "Seriously, dude, I am glad you aren't fish food, though. Xbox tonight?"

I smiled at my brother-in-law's enthusiasm, but shook my head. "Can I take a rain check for tomorrow? I'm beat."

"Edward," Tanya practically whispered, "can we talk sometime tonight?" She seemed humbled and worried, but I wasn't sure how much of it was an act.

Bella tensed up next to me, so I did the only thing I could think of to head it off. "Dad? Do you have time?" I asked clearly across the table.

His head shot up, and he searched my face. He must have seen what he was looking for, because he nodded slowly. "Sure. Whenever you all are ready, I can meet you in your office."

The abrupt return of business to the dinner table had everyone scrambling for their plates. Mom waved for all of us to leave them, so I started making my way out of the hall. Bella was hanging back talking to Alice, and was occasionally stealing glances at me.

Tanya grabbed my arm sharply and spun me to face her. "I meant I wanted to speak to you alone," she hissed.

"And that isn't going to happen, T," I said frankly, but with a sigh.

Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly swung her head towards Bella. "I never thought I'd see the day when you would let someone tell you who to be friends with," she said maliciously.

I just shrugged and walked away. I wasn't going to dignify her jealousy with a response. Dad reached my office doors just before I did.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Edward? You two have been friends forever and were apparently more than friends. I don't want to intrude on what could be a personal and unhappy conversation."

I shrugged again. "Maybe not, but I can't be alone with her. Just . . . don't hold anything she says against me too much."

"Can you not control yourself?" Dad sounded affronted.

I laughed. "Uh, that's not an issue. It was Bella's request."

His "ah-ha" moment was ruined by Tanya stomping into my office and plopping down in the chair unceremoniously. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the wall.

I rolled my eyes at her childish display, and Dad snorted quietly. He sank into the chair next to her, and I sat at my desk. Tanya pursed her lips and turned her glare on me, so I spread my hands in a gesture for her to begin.

"Do we have to have an audience for this?" she said acidly.

"Yes," I replied calmly, and just watched her mini-tantrum.

She huffed. "I need help, Edward. I didn't take any money, and I don't know who did. You have to believe me!"

"I do believe you, T, but you were responsible for it, and I have to hold someone accountable. Do you suggest I just take the loss and put it in the 'Tanya doesn't know' fund?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. But I shouldn't have to pay back something I didn't take with money I don't have!" While she spoke, she sat up straighter and leaned toward me.

"So I should?" I asked pointedly.

She sagged a little in her chair. "It's fifty thousand dollars, Edward. Where am I supposed to come up with that?"

I smirked. "Your clothing budget?"

She glared at me. "I do not spend that kind of money on clothes."

My laugh was humorless. "You tried to spend ten thousand dollars of my money on them a few weeks ago, or have you forgotten? And that was just from _one_ weekend."

"Oh yes," she said spitefully. "The money your little wifey-poo got so upset about and demanded you do something about. I'm sure she gave you all kinds of hell for buying me stuff."

Dad cleared his throat and leveled her with a stare. "Actually, Tanya, I gave him hell for it. He had already had the charges removed before even telling Bella about it. And I have to say that I don't really like seeing this side of you. Bella is a member of this family, and you would do well to remember that."

Tanya looked slightly abashed, but stood to pace.

I, however, was more than anxious to get this conversation over. My relationship with my father was strained enough as it was, and she tended to forget her verbal filter. "What do you want, T?"

"I thought I'd made that perfectly clear," she said as she sauntered over to me, giving me what I assumed was supposed to be a seductive look. Not only did it make her look constipated, but my father was sitting right behind her.

"Yes, but a lot of men get that same message, I hear," I said dryly. My hands gripped my chair, and I leaned back in an effort to get away from her. Dad's expression flitted from disgust to amusement as he took in mine.

"A girl has needs, you know. And you haven't really been available," she purred.

I couldn't believe that she was trying to seduce me to get out of having to pay back the missing money—with my father in the room, no less. In all the years I had known her, I never expected her to stoop this low for anything. It made me wonder if there was more I didn't know, but I wasn't interested in continuing this conversation to find out.

"And I'm still not. Look, Tanya, you still have two weeks to check out every link in the organization. I'm sure that your time would be better spent doing that than hanging around my house, waiting for me to come home."

She gave me an incredulous look and set her jaw. "I can't believe you, Edward Cullen. Don't you think I've tried everything?"

"If everything includes trying to seduce my son, then yes, I would say you've tried and failed," Dad answered for me. "Go home, Tanya. I'll be up to see you in a couple of weeks to get everything finalized and to see what you've come up with."

Tanya spun around and gaped at Dad. "But Carlisle, I . . . uh, that's not necessary. I'm sure that Edward can handle it," she said with faltering confidence.

"I'm sure he can, too, but I'm not going to put him in this position again," he said with finality. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

Tanya seemed to understand his words for what they were—a clear dismissal—and she started to slink out of the room.

I called out after her. "Oh, and Tanya?" She turned to me with a hopeful expression. "Don't ever show up here unannounced again." She gaped at me, hung her head and shut the door behind her as she left.

Dad sighed and sat heavily back in his chair. We regarded each other for several minutes before he spoke. "Has she always been that way?" he asked, somewhat incredulously.

"Pretty much," I answered ruefully. "I guess I never really noticed it for what it was, though. She's flirty, but I never thought there was anything behind it."

He raised one eyebrow and looked at me skeptically. "Edward, you were intimate with her, and you didn't think there was something behind it?"

"Not like she did, I guess." I shrugged. This wasn't territory I was comfortable delving into with him right now. Or ever.

He shook his head at me and made it clear he thought I was an idiot. I couldn't disagree with him about that. I'd had Bella right here all along and had wasted my time without her, abused her trust, and in general, been a shitty husband.

As my thoughts strayed to Bella, every part of me yearned to leave this office and go back to her. I wasn't sure if I was going to be welcome in her room now, but I just wanted to be near her. I stood and moved to the door without really thinking about it. Dad stood after me and followed me out; I could hear him laughing behind me when I took the stairs two at a time.

When I got to Bella's door, I paused. It felt odd to be knocking on her door, so I thought I would go through to her study where we usually met. It wasn't until I tried to go into my room that I realized it was still locked. I was going to have to knock anyway.

I rapped gently on the door and waited patiently as I heard a soft voice call out on the other side. Bella opened the door and gaped at me.

"Edward? You're . . . you're done already?"

"I am. Am I interrupting?" I asked, seeing Alice sitting behind her on the bed.

Alice jumped up. "Nope! I'm leaving. Have a good night, you two!" She squeezed past me out the door and disappeared with a little wave.

Bella and I were left standing there awkwardly. "My door is still locked," I said to break the ice.

"Oh." She looked slightly disappointed and motioned me in. "I left the study door unlocked and just locked mine, so you can go through there."

Noticing her pajamas, I took a deep breath, preparing for the possible rejection. "Are you ready for bed, or can we sit up for a little while?"

She smiled and led the way to her study. "So, how did it go?" she asked over her shoulder.

I groaned. "It was a disaster." I sat down next to her and took her hand in mine. "I suspect something more is going on than she is letting on."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"She insists that she didn't take it, and that she can't afford to pay it back. On the other hand, she's spent the whole weekend here, instead of trying to find out who the culprit is. She was willing to go above and beyond to get me to forget about pursuing it," I explained. I didn't want to go into too much detail.

"Do you think she's covering for someone else?" Bella asked.

I was taken aback; I hadn't considered that."That's a thought. But who?"

She laughed. "Well, I certainly don't know. It's not like I'm real eager to have a conversation with her."

"That makes two of us," I said wryly, tugging Bella into my side. I needed to feel her against me.

"So, what did she do?" Bella asked, trying and failing to sound disinterested.

I cringed, unsure if this would upset her and set us back again. I'd promised to be honest, though, so I took a deep breath and spoke. "She tried begging, and when that didn't work, she tried to seduce me, even with Dad in the office."

Bella pulled away from me and glared at me. "She did what?" Her voice was angry, but I didn't think it was with me.

"She tried to . . . use her feminine wiles? To get me to eat the missing money. I didn't respond, I swear! But Dad and I got to see her for what she is. He's going to take back over those accounts," I told her earnestly.

It was her turn to look stunned. "Wait—in front of Carlisle? Is she an idiot? And does he not think you can handle it? Why is he taking them away?" She fired off her questions in rapid suggestion.

I laughed lightly. "He said he doesn't want to put me in that position again. It was really odd, even for Tanya." I yawned at the end of my statement and gave Bella an apologetic look.

"Did you get any sleep at all earlier?" she asked kindly.

"A little. It's been a really long day, though." I shrugged as if it didn't matter. I didn't want to leave Bella yet.

She gave me a shy smile. "Why don't you go get ready for bed, then?"

"Because you're in here," I whined.

"And you're falling asleep on me," she teased. "I'll still be here in the morning."

I made a face, but she just laughed it off. "Go to bed, Edward."

Determined not to make the night a complete waste, I leaned over and brushed my lips softly against hers. "Goodnight, love," I whispered against them. Then, I stood and strode from the room. As I went through the door, I heard Bella muttering to herself.

The household commenced its normal routine Tuesday morning, and I had more than a week's worth of work piled up, just waiting for me. Bella stopped into my office around midday to tell me that she was going over to New Horizons to make up for missing the day before. I was pleased that she had found a passion for one of the groups we supported, and I wondered how much it would end up influencing her.

Now that I wasn't five thousand miles away, we resumed our nightly discussions, and I listened with rapt attention while she told me about each of "her girls." There was a spark in her eyes that I hadn't seen before, as she told me about them and their "sharing circles."

"We're sticking to safe topics so far, like periods and chores, but I'm afraid when we broach the more sensitive ones, I'm going to be out of my depth," she confessed late Wednesday night.

"How do you mean?" I asked, although I had some idea of where she was going with this.

"Boyfriends, dating . . . I have no experience with that. Sex . . . not that, either. How am I supposed to contribute and lead the conversation?" she complained openly.

I smiled at the fact that she finally felt comfortable talking to me about these things.

"Well, you have the boys you saw before we got married, right?" I said in an effort to bolster her confidence.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Edward, I didn't _talk_ to you for two years. What in the world gave you the impression that I might have any experience with boys?"

Something in the first part of her comment bothered me, so I filed it to think about later. Right now, though, she was giving me the perfect opportunity to butter her up. "Oh, I don't know. You're smart, open, funny, and kind. Not to mention, extremely beautiful. I'm just lucky there aren't guys lined up at the door now!"

"Oh, there are," she said blandly, and I couldn't tell if she was kidding or not.

I growled and kissed her hard. Underneath me, she melted, and I pursued her a little harder with my mouth. Internally, I wrestled with the urge to claim her, to make her mine.

I pulled back and stared at her, my eyes half closed and wanting.

"Why did you stop?" she whispered huskily.

I groaned deep in my chest and squeezed my eyes shut. "You are entirely too tempting for your own good," I said. My pants were painfully tight, and I wanted nothing more at the moment than to teach her all about those things she didn't know. It was getting harder and harder to resist her.

"Good, then it's mutual," she mumbled.

Before I could process what she meant, her lips crashed into mine. I kissed her with all the fervor I could muster, and moaned when I felt her small hands tugging at my hair. The hand cradling her head locked tighter, and the other slowly moved down her arm and to her hip. I fought to keep it there; it felt so perfect underneath my palm. Then, one of her hands gripped my back and pulled my body even closer. I didn't realize what I was doing until her ass was in my hand and she was moaning into my mouth. There was no thought in my head of stopping, though. I kept kissing her as if my life depended on it, and she returned my affection with equal passion.

"Bella? Can you be read—" Mom called.

At the sound of her voice, Bella and I sprang apart like two teenagers being caught making out in the car. My head snapped up, and I saw Mom standing in Bella's now open doorway with her mouth hanging open. When she saw me, she recovered quickly and knocked on the wood, as if she hadn't just interrupted us.

Bella's face was four shades of red when she turned around to face my mother, but she was putting forth a valiant effort to pretend nothing had happened.

"Hey, Esme," Bella said somewhat breathlessly. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to know if we could go over to the college in the morning. You have to register soon if you want to take classes in the spring," Mom informed her.

Bella turned and looked at me, biting her lip. I wasn't sure what she wanted, but I gave her my most supportive smile and nodded. "Sure," she said brightly, turning back to face my mother. "Do you want to head over there about ten?"

Mom agreed and turned to leave. Bella faced me with wide eyes, and I saw Mom give me a huge smile and do a little dance over her shoulder. I just laughed under my breath and shook my head.

"Oh, dear God!" Bella mumbled in mortification. She buried her face in my chest, and I enclosed her in my arms.

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "It could be worse. She could have waited ten more minutes and gotten to see a whole lot more than that."

Bella pulled back and smacked me on the arm. She was smiling, though, so I knew she wasn't mad. "I'm going to bed now."

"You're sending me to my room now, aren't you?" I teased.

Bella just laughed, gave me a quick kiss, and trotted through the door to her bedroom. I groaned and went through to mine as well. I could still feel her body against mine, and I knew that it was going to be a long night.

**So, he's home now and Tanya's been dismissed. Hit that little button below and tell me what you think. **

**A reminder to vote in the Avant Garde awards. TAM has been nominated in two categories and some of my other favorite stories, like Unplanned Perfection, have been nominated as well. Go vote and show your support!**


	12. Chapter 12: Confession

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable elements are the property of their respective owners. This story and the plot line are mine. I don't give you permission to use them. **

**A/N: As of posting, TAM has 1026 reviews on and 423 on Twilighted. That's amazing guys, and all on you. So, thank you. A lot of work went into this chapter to get it right for you and I need to thank all of those responsible. Riss, as usual, thank you for pre-reading. Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy, thank you for your beta skills. Twilight0715 and swimom7 helped me with the most important parts. Thanks to the girls on the forum for movie ideas. I'm sure they aren't perfect and I know that you all are going to have to say a lot about it. I'll let you get to it.**

**Chapter 12: Confession**

**EPOV**

Bella was excited when she and Mom got home Thursday afternoon. I found her in her new study at dinnertime, flipping through the course catalog, and she left it on her desk reluctantly. I loved seeing her so happy, but it was bittersweet. Every time she talked about getting her degree, it was in terms of being able to take care of herself, and the hint was that she needed it because she didn't want me. I hoped that she didn't mean it that way, but given our history, the fear was always there. What made it worse was that it was all my fault.

At dinner that night, she was animated in a way that I hadn't seen her in a long time, and I used my time to just watch her again. Now that I knew her better, I understood the nuances in her expressions. It made observing her all the more interesting to me.

Afterwards, she rushed back to her office, so I went back to mine and delved into work for a few more hours. True to his word, Dad had relieved me of everything to do with the businesses managed by the Spencers. In return, though, he'd passed on some of his work, and I had already spent a week sifting through it. Finally, at nine o'clock, I set the books aside and knocked on the door to Bella's office. It swung open easily underneath my hand; the room was dark and empty.

With a heavy heart, I climbed the stairs and returned to my room. Bella hadn't waited for me. It was all my worst fears, blossoming right before my eyes. I deserved it, to be sure, but I didn't want to watch Bella walk away. I wouldn't recover if she did. My actions in the past hadn't conveyed the hold she had on me, and it had only gotten stronger as we had gotten to know each other. I felt horrible for hurting Bella the way I had, for treating her the way I had. She deserved better than I had given her, but I wanted to be the man that gave her everything she wanted. I wanted to be worthy of her. And I didn't think I was going to ever get the chance. Sitting there on my settee, with my tie loose around my neck, all of my fears poured out. My hands covered my eyes, though the wetness still seeped through.

And that was how Bella found me.

"Edward?" she called, slowly entering my room from the study. "Honey, what's wrong?"

I sniffed and wiped my eyes before I looked at her. "Nothing, baby. I'm okay. What's going on?" She rarely entered my room, and had never sought me out like this.

Her skeptical expression showed that she didn't believe me, but she let it pass. "It's nine-thirty."

I gave her what I hoped looked like a smile instead of a grimace and rose to follow her, pulling my tie off as I went.

Her course catalog was on the couch, and little pieces of paper stuck out the top haphazardly. I picked up the book and opened it to one of the indicated pages. "Tell me about this?" I requested.

She shrugged. "It's nothing much. I just marked some things I thought looked interesting. That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about, though."

"Okay?" I said hesitantly.

"I think I want to go back to school for the spring semester. I don't know what I want to do yet, but I'm getting ideas, and I wanted your opinion," she told me honestly.

"You want my opinion?" I asked cautiously. The last time she was making a decision, she didn't want to be influenced by me.

"Well, yeah. You _are_ my husband," she said in a "well, duh" tone and smiled at me.

I didn't smile back. My fears still sat in the forefront of my mind. "I think going back to school is a great idea. Having that piece of paper will help you get a job when you want one, and it's an experience not to be missed."

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to miss most of those experiences," she said drolly, once again raising her eyebrow at me.

"Not unless you want to," I shot back, fully aware of where this was leading, but unable to rein myself in.

"Hmm, drunken frat parties with face-eating guys . . . doesn't sound all that exciting to me," she mused cheekily. She seemed determined not to let my sullen mood darken her excitement. "Anyway, I only have a week to pick out my classes and re-register. They gave me a list of the pre-reqs that I need, and most of them are at a time where I can still go to the hospital and New Horizons. I'm just not sure about Calculus, though."

"I can help you if you want," I offered. "I think I still remember some of it."

"Thanks!" she chirped happily, throwing her arms around my neck.

I pulled her closer to me and reveled in the feeling of her in my arms. If this is all I would ever have, I was going to have the memories to sustain me.

"So, now," she said as she leaned back, "you want to tell me what is going on with you tonight?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't really want to put it all out there either. "Just feeling the weight of all my mistakes tonight, Bella. That's all. There are just moments when it all hits me and I don't know how to deal with it. You aren't the only one that gets scared, you know."

"Why are you scared?"

"I love watching you. It's always the simplest things you get the most excited about—a game, time with Alice and Rose, school. But there's so much more behind it. I love seeing the light in your eyes when you talk about working and getting your education, but the implications terrify me," I confessed.

"I don't get it," she said, clearly confused.

"You're going back to school and working so you can stand on your own two feet, Bella. I can't tell you how proud I am of that. But if the reason is so that you can support yourself after you leave me, forgive me for being a little morose," I said bleakly.

She looked taken aback by my declaration and openly gaped at me. I couldn't hold her gaze, and instead, stared at my hands. It wasn't as though this was the first time I had thought about Bella deciding that I wasn't worth the trouble or her forgiveness. In fact, it had occurred to me almost daily for nearly a year and a half. The reality was creeping up on me daily now, and I wondered what it would be like if she were to leave to find herself. The idea nauseated me.

"Edward?" Bella called gently to me, and I slowly twisted my head back toward her. The crease between her eyebrows that she got when she was thinking was deep, and her mouth was pursed.

"Did I . . .? What gave . . .?" She stumbled through her words and thoughts. She opened and closed her mouth several times as she thought about what to say. Finally, she blurted, "Why do you think I'm leaving you?"

"You, well, you've made it clear that forgiving me is impossible" –my voice broke- "and you're working so hard to make your own life," I muttered. I couldn't articulate what was festering inside of me, and the ache was growing. Visions of what my life would be like pounded in my brain. I closed my eyes against the onslaught.

Bella gripped my hands, grounding me and bringing me back to the present. She inhaled deeply and paused before she spoke. "I said it would be _almost_ impossible, not completely. I just need time, Edward. You pushed me away for two years and had sex with someone else! It's not easy to just let that go. And I do want to find my own path. I don't want to be left like Esme, with no prospects and nowhere to go. I want to contribute. Can you understand that?"

I nodded. "Yes, I can, and you know that I will support you in whatever you decide." I fought not to choke on the words, because if she decided that she couldn't forgive me, I wasn't sure that I could let her go. The thought of seeing her with another man made my blood boil—hypocritical, I knew, but it didn't change my reaction.

"That's all I ask," she said simply. She gently pressed her lips to mine, and I forced myself to keep it chaste. We didn't need the hormone-fueled actions tonight; we just needed to reconnect.

I went to bed that night only slightly more peaceful than I had felt when I entered my room earlier, and I didn't sleep well. On Friday, I spent the whole day reviewing our family's real estate holdings. The market had plunged so deeply that some of them were worth only a fraction of what they had been a year before. Emmett's had been hit particularly hard, but there was a lucrative offer on the table. I made a note to talk to him about it when he got home, even though I knew he would never sell it.

Bella, Alice, and Rosalie were going out to dinner and a movie for a girls' night, so I stayed in with Emmett and Jasper. It was quite relaxing just to drink beer and play pool with them in the basement, without having to worry about anything else—like Bella, the situation with Tanya, or my own stupidity.

I was four beers in when my tongue loosened. "Hey, douches, why didn't you ever tell me that Tanya was so . . . inappropriate with me?" I asked my brothers. I hadn't seen it until the end, but they rarely missed anything.

"Seriously, dude? You _didn't_ notice?" Emmett asked in disbelief as he sunk the two ball.

"Not really?" I made it sound like a question, because I wasn't sure of anything any more. "She's always been flirty, and I just thought she was like that with everyone." _I really should stop drinking, _I thought to myself. _I clearly have no verbal filter. Or sense. _

"Can you see Rose letting her feel up Emmett?" Jasper burst out laughing, and we all joined him at the mental image of the cat fight that would ensue. He even punctuated it by pretending his hands were claws and slashing them out into the air.

"I can't believe Bella never said anything to you about it. I know it bothered her," Emmett said. He was clearly the most sober of the three of us. It could have been because he was the size of a mountain man, or that Jasper and I couldn't hold our liquor. Either one.

"Kinda hard when you never fucking talk," I muttered around my swig of beer.

"Wait, what?" Jasper asked in confusion. "Talking is, you know, key to the whole conversation thing."

I rolled my eyes and made a face at him. "Well, shit, Swami! Why didn't you say so? That _must_ have been my problem," I retorted sarcastically, and inadvertently sunk the cue ball in the corner pocket.

"Well, what did you do with her for two years? Stare at her?" Emmett asked in his very blunt way.

I finished my beer in one gulp. "Pretty much," I concluded. "She, apparently, never noticed and I never had the courage to do anything else."

"Okay, wait, wait, wait," Jasper crowed with a little too much laughter in his voice for my taste. "You're telling us that you spent two years married to a girl that you never spoke to? How did we not notice this?"

"We're all dumb shits?" I suggested, the alcohol clearly addling my brain.

"You must be our king, then," Emmett responded dryly. "You dared to go where everyone else has gone before!"

"And that. How did I not know that? I mean, obviously, I knew she wasn't innocent, but damn!" I exclaimed.

"You're an idiot. I thought we already established that," Jasper intoned.

I smacked him on the head and handed over the cue. Emmett had wiped the table, but I was going to blame it on the alcohol.

"Are things better with you and Bella now?" Jasper asked after a few minutes. "Alice has been really worried—about both of you."

"Eh." I shrugged. "We have good days and bad days. I'm pretty much living in the dog house for the rest of my life, and I'm going to die from a serious case of blue balls, but other than that, it's peachy." I swallowed the rest of my beer in one gulp to accentuate my statement.

Emmett laughed. "What the fuck do you expect, bro? She'll miss it eventually and come crawling back. You can go a few weeks without."

I rolled my eyes again, and it became abundantly clear that my verbal filter dissolved in beer. "A few weeks? Fuck it, Emmett. I haven't had sex in over a year, and it's not looking good any time soon."

"Man, I am totally confused." Jasper propped himself up using the pool cue and the table since he was swaying slightly. "You haven't had sex in a year, but Bella didn't find out about Tanya until a few weeks ago. Do you suck that bad? Do we need to give you pointers?"

"I hate you," I told him. "How are we related? I don't need fucking pointers. I've just never . . . had sex with Bella."

The room got so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop, and both of them stared at me as if I had two heads. Well, maybe they were actually seeing two of me, but they did appear a little stunned.

"Dude, that's just . . . that's fucked up," Emmett whispered drunkenly. The two beers he'd slammed between games seemed to have caught up with him.

"You're not . . . gay, are you? I mean, I'll totally still love you if you are, dude, 'cause you're my brother and all, but I think you should tell everyone if that's the case," Jasper rambled.

I just shook my head. "No, Jas, I'm not gay. Just on forced celibacy because I'm a dumb ass."

"But why, dude?" Emmett gasped. "That's against the laws of nature and shit."

"Uh, I married a fifteen year old girl, couldn't have sex with her because that's just all kinds of wrong, and then cheated on her. Now, not surprisingly, she doesn't want to go there. So, my dick stays lonely," I added in a pretend lament, although, it really was a sad state of affairs. I didn't blame her, but it didn't make my yearning for my wife any less.

They both agreed that my life sucked, and changed the conversation to some horses they were trying to sell. I told Emmett about the offer on his land, and he did just what I thought he would. He authorized me to tell them to "go to Hell."

It was long after midnight when I stumbled upstairs, and I was three sheets to the wind. As I passed Bella's door, I wondered if she was home yet, but then decided I didn't want to know. If she wasn't, I would just spend the rest of the night, lying awake and wondering where she was. Instead, I pretended that she was next door like I always did and sank into a deep slumber.

Saturday morning dawned without me. My eyelids registered the light and it made me burrow even further into my covers in an attempt to ward off the inevitable hangover. When I finally surfaced, it was almost noon. Alice was in the kitchen making lunch, and I was unable to sneak some food. I tried really hard not to cringe when I heard her voice, but it was like nails on a chalkboard to my already sensitive ears.

"You'd better take some aspirin, Edward. We're having a movie marathon this afternoon, and I expect you to be there," she ordered. "Be in the rec room at one, or I _will_ come find you."

I heard the threat loud and clear. After washing down a couple of aspirin with a lot of water and taking a shower, I felt a little more presentable and a lot more human. When I walked into the rec room, Jasper and Emmett looked as bad as I felt earlier when, though, and that made me feel marginally better.

Alice had gone all out for us. Mom and Dad were going out on a date, so it was just us, and she allowed each of us to choose one of our favorites. The only rule was that we had to be good sports and watch them all. I randomly picked _Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark_. I didn't really think watching _Die Hard_ was going to be Bella's idea of a fun afternoon.

"Alphabet or age?" Alice called with her head in the movie cabinet.

Everyone shouted out a different answer. Alice stood and looked at us all blankly. "Um, alphabet it is. I go first! Yay!"

Alice popped in her movie, and I leaned into the corner to watch. Bella snuggled up next to me, and I slung my arm over her shoulders, enjoying the easy comfort while I could. She had been a lot more physically affectionate with me since I'd returned from my trip, and while I wondered about it, I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Alice had chosen _The Dark Crystal,_ an old movie with Muppet like creatures. It was pretty strange, and I watched the really ugly evil guys and the hunch-backed good guys turn back into one alien looking thing. Then, they brought the girl back to life so she could repopulate the world with the other guy. I leaned up and raised my eyebrows at Alice when the credits started playing.

"What was that?" Emmett spoke before I could.

Alice crossed her arms over her chest and stared at us defiantly. "It's one of my favorites from when I was a kid." Clearly, she wasn't inviting discussion on her choice. "Bella's turn!"

Bella wriggled out of my grasp and hopped up to change out the movie. _Sweet Home Alabama_ was her choice. Personally, I thought it was a little odd, considering our situation, but no one else seemed to notice.

After _Raiders of the Lost Ark_—my choice—and _Kill Bill_—Emmett's choice—we all took a break to get some food and bring it back into the rec room. It was almost nine o'clock, and we still had two movies to go.

_Blazing Saddles_ lightened the mood. We all laughed along with the inappropriate jokes, and Jasper declared Mel Brooks a comedic genius.

"I swear to God, I have no idea how I managed to share a womb with you," Rosalie said after the fifth or sixth recall of the classic scenes. "It's my turn."

_What Lies Beneath_ could have been one of the freakiest movies I'd ever seen. Bella spent most of the film watching through my shirt, and Emmett screamed like a girl when Meredith's hand came up through the water. Rosalie must have wanted to play the protector all night, because Emmett sure as shit wasn't sleeping after that.

Bella clung to me as we tiptoed upstairs, and she startled at every noise. The wind was whipping around the house and lashing at the windows, and I knew we were in for a rough storm—not good, considering the horror we'd just sat through.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" I asked her seriously when we got to her door.

She shook her head and looked around. "No, I'll be fine. Thanks, though."

I gave her a skeptical look. Bella was about to jump out of her skin. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she whispered, but even I could hear the doubt in her voice.

I leaned over and kissed her softly. Her mouth yielded to mine, but the rest of her was rigid with tension. Rosalie's idea of a good time definitely wasn't the same as Bella's.

"You know where to find me if you need me," I whispered as I pulled away. I watched her until the door was shut firmly behind her and hurried off to my own room.

I flipped on a few lights and got ready for bed quickly. Mom had always encouraged us to sleep through storms when we were little so we wouldn't be afraid, and now they made me really tired. Outside, I could hear thunder rumbling, and I knew the storm would really set in soon. If we kept power all night, it would be a miracle. Despite that, I left the shower light on, just in case Bella needed me for something. That's what I was telling myself anyway. My bed was safe, and once I crawled in, I was cocooned in its warmth. Nothing could touch me here. I drifted off to sleep quickly, with the percussion of the thunder a backdrop to my dreams.

The room was pitch black when I awoke with a start. I heard something, someone, in my room, and my heart beat faster in fear. I knew that I had left the light on, so it seemed that the bad weather had knocked out the electricity. My ears strained for any sound that might alert me as to who was here.

"Edward?" The tiny whisper came again from somewhere near my study door.

"Bella?" I asked, my voice still hoarse with sleep. "Are you okay?"

"I'm scared," she admitted shyly. "Can I sleep with you?"

Involuntarily, my face split into a grin. While the circumstances weren't ideal, the idea of having her next to me was extremely appealing. "Sure."

The light from the flashes of lightening illuminated the room slightly. I folded back the covers and held my arms open for her. Bella, in a pair of plaid pants and a tank top, darted across the room and jumped into my bed, just as another crash of thunder rang through the house. She nestled into me and buried her head in my shoulder, while I carefully re-covered us both with warmth.

"This is why I don't watch scary movies," she mumbled into my shoulder. "I'm sorry to invade like this."

"I don't mind," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. Truthfully, I was happy that she had run to me for comfort. She wiggled a little next to me to get comfortable, and as soon as she settled down, I fell back asleep, happier than I had been in a long time.

Soft rays of sunlight filtered through my curtains when I woke the next morning. Bella was still curled next to me, and her breathing was soft. I glanced down at her to see if she was awake, and I found her deep chocolate eyes staring at me.

"Good morning," I rumbled, my voice rusty from sleep. "Have you been awake long?"

"Morning," Bella said quietly and shrugged. She was more subdued than usual, and I wondered if it was because of the movie or because she had woken in my bed.

I stretched my arms over my head and quickly moved them back under the covers. "Jesus Christ! It's cold out there!"

Bella laughed a little. "I know. Why do you think I'm still here?"

I raised my eyebrow at her. "I was hoping it was because you like cuddling with me."

She sighed. "I do. It's just that . . . I'm not the first woman to be here and it feels . . . sketchy."

I pulled back slightly to look at her. "Yes, you are. I've never shared this bed with anyone else, Bella."

"But Tanya . . ." She sounded sad and confused.

I remained quiet and still as she gathered her thoughts. At Bella's request, I had avoided this topic so far, but I knew we couldn't do it forever. However, I wasn't looking forward to ruining what could have been a perfectly lovely morning over it.

Bella finally responded by pulling away. "I guess it's time for you to tell me."

I nodded. "Where do you want me to start?" I asked. I wasn't trying to avoid it, but I didn't want to burden her mind with information she didn't want.

"You said that you all were together when you were younger? Start there," she ordered.

I took a deep breath and thought back. "Tanya, Irina, Rose, Jasper, and I all grew up together. The Spencers didn't move away until the girls were teenagers. As I told you before, Tanya needed some looking after. Irina was too busy with her social life to notice her little sister floundering, so it fell to me to take care of her. We told each other all of our secrets and gave each other advice. I didn't have a lot of friends and she listened when I needed her. But we grew up, and as she did, I noticed. I was a teenage boy, and she was cute. Being somewhat awkward, I had no clue what to do with girls.

"Once, when I was about sixteen, we were at their new house and had stayed up late. When I confessed to being nervous around girls, she offered to help. This, she said, was something she knew, and she could return all the favors I had done for her over the years. At her direction, I kissed her. It was wet and sloppy, but she was girl, and it was real, and later, it gave me the courage to ask one of the girls at school to a dance. I called Tanya as soon as Caroline said yes and she celebrated with me.

"A few months later, I inadvertently walked in on her changing into her pajamas—"

"Wait," Bella stopped me, her voice slightly disgusted and incredulous. "Are we seriously going to go over each and every thing you've ever done with her?"

My head fell back, and I closed my eyes. When I reopened them, I looked at her and said, "This is where you asked me to start. I'm not a mind reader, Bella. That's why I asked. If you don't want to know this, then tell me what you want details on, and I'll skip ahead to the end."

"No, go ahead," she mumbled, clearly disgruntled, but acknowledging her request.

"Any way, her boobs were hanging out. They were just there, and I asked her if I could feel them. She showed me what she liked. She wanted to know what a penis looked like once, so I showed her. And that's how it was for a couple of years. We occasionally experimented with each other, no strings attached."

"Was she your first?" Bella whispered. Her eyes were bright with tears, but she was keeping her distance, and I tried to respect it.

"No. I was nineteen and dating a girl named Danielle Sutton. We were in college, and it seemed like the thing to do. Since I was still a virgin, it wasn't a fantastic experience for either of us. Two weeks later, Danielle dumped me for some guy on the basketball team and told me I was a lousy lay, among other things."

Bella gasped. "She didn't! That's just mean."

"Oh, she did. And in front of my roommate, too. I went to see Tanya that weekend, disgusted with myself. She was really my closest friend, other than Jasper, and I didn't want to admit to him that his older brother was a failure. Tanya commiserated with me and reminded me that it would get better. When I went back to school, I felt better about myself. I didn't jump right back into the dating scene, but I didn't want to hide my face in a paper bag like Danielle had suggested."

"Did you have sex with Tanya that weekend?" Bella asked curiously, but clearly displaying the hope that I hadn't.

"No. We were _just_ friends. She was dating some guy named Embry, and they were pretty serious. I wasn't ready to jump back into the sack anyway. After that, though, I concentrated more on my studies and less on my social life. I saw a couple of girls, but those relationships weren't overly serious. It wasn't until my twenty-first birthday that anything changed. Tanya had a fake ID and came up to party with me. The guys from school and their girlfriends, took us out to all the local bars, and I got completely hammered. Tanya helped me back up to my room, and I insisted that she stay the night because we were both drunk, even though I only had a twin bed. Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up to her . . . uh, playing with me. She suggested that we continue our lessons and that I learn how to fuck."

I stopped and took a breath. I didn't know why Bella would want to hear this. I certainly didn't want to hear about her and another man, so I tried to gloss over it as best I could. "So, we did. It was a little awkward between us after that, but we decided a few months later to act like it had never happened, and things got better. She called me when some guy called Alec broke her heart, and I fell back into my role as her friend pretty easily. We would talk or get together to catch up every few months."

"If you were such good friends, why didn't you want to marry _her?_" Bella asked with a hint of derision.

"Tanya and I are very different people, and we value different things." Bella muttered something under her breath that I wasn't meant to hear, and I let it go. "She wanted the finer things in life and didn't care about her education. Other than social things, we didn't have a lot to talk about. She's kind of an airhead. She's pretty, but not overly attractive to me. I wanted more than just a semi-attractive face. We just weren't, and aren't, a good match."

"So, then what happened?" Bella prompted.

"Then, we got married. I've already told you how I struggled with that. Tanya happened to call one day when I was feeling particularly low. I had considered going to your father to see if there was a way around the property clause to allow you to keep it and let you out of the marriage. I didn't think it was fair for you to miss out on all the typical teenage things, and I couldn't give you those. She knew something was bothering me, and I asked for her advice."

Bella's tone was scathing. "Did she tell you to throw it all away for her?"

I chuckled. "No, she told me to talk to you. That she was sure I could find a way to word it so that your feelings wouldn't be hurt. And I tried, Bella. I really did. But how many ways can you say 'you're too young,' without coming off sounding like an asshole? Anyway, they came up for Thanksgiving that year, your first one here, and Alice started decorating the house for Christmas as soon as the leftovers were put away. Do you remember that?"

She laughed. "I do. I kept tripping over strings of lights, and she would just hand me another box of bows or ornaments and tell me where to go."

"That sounds about right. She strategically placed mistletoe, too. I was leaning against the doorframe watching you and Rose argue about putting on that ugly silver garland on the tree when she stood in front of me and kissed me. She caught me by surprise, and it took me a couple of seconds to realize what she'd done. I leaned away from her and glared, but she just laughed and pointed at the sprig over my head. It still didn't sit right with me, because it had lingered too long, and I avoided her for the rest of the trip. It made me feel dirty somehow, like I had betrayed you, even though it was innocent."

"Are you counting that kiss in the 'handful of incidents' you claimed?" she asked in disbelief.

I nodded. "I do, because I should have done more to dissuade her. I could have let her know it was inappropriate, but I didn't. If I had, maybe the rest wouldn't have happened."

She frowned. "Okay. Tell me the rest."

"All right. Do you remember my twenty-fourth birthday?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I think so."

"We had a dinner party, then you and Alice went to her mom's house for the night," I reminded her.

"Oh yeah," she said with a hint of distaste. "She made me do the typical sleep-over stuff, like paint my nails and watch John Hughes' movies."

I laughed lightly at her expression. "Alice has quite an affinity for John Hughes, although I have no idea why. While you all were watching _Pretty In Pink_, Jasper and Emmett were getting me drunk. We all went down to the basement, played video games, and drank. A lot. Rose and Tanya joined us and cheered us on while Emmett kicked my ass on Halo. Jasper left around midnight to call Alice, and Rose and Emmett were pawing each other, so I sent them up to bed. Tanya took over Emmett's character, and we didn't stop until we'd killed each other. Admittedly, it didn't take long. Before I really knew what was happening, Tanya was in my lap, kissing me. I tried to push her away, but she kept going, and I was too drunk. I remember her opening my jeans and rolling a condom on me."

I stopped and shut my eyes again. I didn't want to relive this, and I didn't want to see the pain on Bella's face. I ran my hands down my face and concentrated on each breath. Bella's was stuttering and shallow; she was crying. This had to end, though, and I had to tell her the whole truth.

"After we were done," I choked out with my eyes still firmly shut, "I told her that it never should have happened, that I was married, and I didn't want her that way. She tried to tell me that it was okay, because it didn't mean anything, and that no one ever had to know. But I knew, and it ate at me. I had let it happen."

I opened my eyes again and reached a tentative hand out to her. I used my thumb to brush the tears off her cheek. To my surprise, Bella didn't flinch away.

"And when it happened again?" she asked through the lump in her throat. I could barely make out her words.

"It never happened again," I said firmly. "The only other intimate contact that we had was the . . . oral sex . . . that you already know about."

"And that? How could you have let that happen?" she cried.

Her sadness tore at my heart, and I yanked her to me. She was very stiff in my arms, but I refused to let go. She pounded her small fists into my chest and I took each blow. If it made her feel better, she could beat on me all day in retribution and I would deserve each and every bruise for bruising her heart.

"There is no excuse, Bella. Nothing is good enough, and it wouldn't matter anyway. It was wrong," I said earnestly. "I swear I never set out to betray you, or our marriage. The only thing I can do is beg for your forgiveness and spend forever making it up to you."

"What if I can't give that to you?" she cried into my chest.

"I'll never stop trying," I promised. I let her continue to cry as I held her and rubbed soothing circles on her back. Long minutes passed as the tears soaked my shirt.

When her breathing evened out, I ran my hand over her hair and cradled her head against me. Her voice was muffled, but I could understand every word.

"When we were talking about those college experiences the other night, well, what if I want those?"

A blade lanced through my heart, and I stopped breathing. It was exactly what I was afraid of. Because I had broken my own vows, I wasn't sure that I had the right to hold her to hers. Did I want our marriage to devolve into that? Separate lives? We might as well get a divorce.

I took several deep breaths before I answered. "I suppose that is a decision you have to make. Will it make you feel better to . . . sow your oats while I wait at home? It would be eye-for-an-eye retribution, I suppose."

"But two wrongs don't make a right," she whispered sagely.

"No, they don't. But Bella, if that is what you really want, I will let you go. It might kill me to do it, but I want you to be happy, and I've done a miserable job of making you that way. I have no idea why I thought the distance was necessary in hindsight and why we didn't cross it sooner. But maybe now it's too late?"

"No, it's not too late. I just hate feeling like this, feeling like I'll always be second best. It's hard for me to imagine that you wanted me when you never even spoke to me," she admitted.

My hands rubbed down her silky hair as I struggled to center my thoughts. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure?" Her tone told me that she thought this was a stupid question.

"Were you happy with the way things were between us?" I asked.

She sat up slightly and gave me a questioningly look. "What?"

"Were you happy?" I repeated.

She shrugged. "I guess so. I was happy enough. I had a friend in Alice and a sister in Rose. Jasper and Emmett were the big brothers I'd never had, and I went from being the caretaker to being part of a family. Why do you ask?"

I wanted to word this carefully, because I didn't want her to feel like I was blaming her. The distance I put between us was completely my fault. "Why didn't you ever try to talk to me?"

The moment my question registered was evident. Her face went from confused to shocked to contemplative. I waited as patiently as I could for her to answer. "I don't know. I guess I didn't think you wanted me to. And then I got used to it being that way, and I didn't think you wanted me around."

"Do you know how much we suck at this?" I chuckled. "I didn't think you wanted me around, either. You always seemed to have settled in so happily that I thought my presence would upset that. Especially when it was so difficult for me to be around you."

She laughed slightly, and her face turned much more serious. "How do we move on from here?"

"One day at a time?" I answered, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Bella nodded and laid her head back on my chest. She was fiddling with my T-shirt when she started chuckling. "You know, I'm really glad you were never with her here. I would've hated to have to burn this really comfortable bed."

I laughed. "It is a good bed, isn't it?"

"At least it's warm right now. What happened to the heat?" she asked, clearly trying to change the subject and lighten the mood. I let it pass because I figured she needed some space.

I groaned. "Dad put in an electric heat pump a few years ago in an attempt to be more 'green,' but he took out the gas back-up furnace. The power went off last night, and I guess it hasn't restarted. I don't think anyone's going to be looking for us, though, so we can stay here where it's warm."

"Hmm. That would be warmer, but I'm hungry," she said sadly. "I don't think you have food stashed in your bedside drawers." She reached over as if to check, and I grabbed her wrist quickly.

She twisted around to look at me with a strange look on her face. "What don't you want me to see, Edward?" Her tone was half-teasing, half-threatening.

"Nothing. I just—" I didn't think she would appreciate what she was about to find.

"No more secrets?" she said, and the warning was clear.

I let go of her hand and gestured for her to look. I leaned back against my pillow and closed my eyes while I listened to her open the drawer in my bedside table.

Bella giggled a little, and then a little more. "Edward, what is this?" she laughed. "Where did you get this picture?"

I was glad she was finding humor in my humiliation, but I pulled it together to give as good as I was getting, even though my face was burning.

"Well, Bella, that bottle is lubrication and that one is lotion. I took that picture one day about a year ago when you weren't looking. It's my favorite," I confessed.

"What do you? I mean, why do have . . ." She trailed off as realization dawned. "Do you . . . um, use this stuff a lot?" she asked shyly.

My face turned as red as hers usually did when she was embarrassed, and I just shook my head. I didn't really want to discuss my masturbation habits with Bella. I cracked my eye and saw her laying there, grinning and looking unrepentant, so I rose up and quickly covered her body with mine. I pressed her into the mattress and lowered my face to hers, skimming my nose along her jaw.

"I use it as often as you entice me, so, yeah, I use it a lot," I whispered, embarrassed.

Bella groaned, and her hips flexed into mine. I was going to have to be careful not to let things go too far. After everything we'd talked about, we didn't need that.

"Do you think about me when you touch yourself?" she whispered into my ear while her hands caressed my back.

It was my turn to groan, and I dropped my head to her shoulder. I kissed the juncture of her shoulder and neck, thinking about how I should answer. "Every time," I whispered into her skin. "There's only you, Bella."

I pulled back to look in her face, and I repeated myself so that she could see my sincerity. "There's only you."

She tugged me down to her and pressed her lips against mine. Then, her stomach rumbled loudly, and we broke apart with a laugh.

"I guess it's time to brave the cold and feed you, huh?" I chuckled. I lifted myself off of her and lay down next to her. I wasn't quite ready to move yet.

Bella nodded, kissed me, and wriggled out from under the sheets. She yelped and ran frantically back to her room. With a sigh, I got up and hastily dressed myself in a thermal shirt and running pants. It couldn't have been more than fifty-five degrees in the house. Brunch was going to be fun.

**So, now you all know all. Give Bella a break, she needed a slight respite from the heaviness, before she delves back into it next time. First round voting for the Avant Garde awards is still going. Please go vote if you haven't already. There are some great stories there that would love your support. The link is on my profile and on the forum, somewhere. I'm sure I don't have to say it, but I would love it if you would hit that little button and tell me what you think. **


	13. Chapter 13: Flames and Fears

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: As usual, this story is mine, but the Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm not giving you permission to use this story, so don't. **

**A/N: First, I want to state certainly and unequivocally, that Edward was not raped. He feels that he consented, and although he regrets his actions, he takes responsibility for them. Second, and most importantly, I want to say thank you for all the wonderful readers that have recently found this story and those that have been with me since the beginning. I treasure you all. Thank you to swimom7 and Riss usc_mam for pre-reading and helping me during certain portions. I also want to thank bonnysammy and Jenny Cullen, my fabulous betas, for making this even better. I appreciate you. **

**Chapter 13: Flames and Fears**

**BPOV**

I ran back to my room as fast as I could. It was freezing in the house, and I just wanted to put some warm clothes on. Listening to Edward describe his history with Tanya in detail was gut-wrenching, and I needed a few minutes alone to digest it. I wanted to hate them both and blame him for ever having spoken to her. But I couldn't.

The truth was, for most of their lives, they _had_ been just friends. I understood how the "experimenting" might have occurred when they were younger, although why he thought I couldn't handle the same thing was beyond me. At some point, though, something had changed for her, of that I was certain. Edward obviously hadn't seen it, but he was pretty oblivious where women were concerned.

Now that I had all the information, I wasn't sure that to do with it. The kiss, the . . . sex, the blow job—all while we were married. He promised that it would never happen again, but could I really believe that? Could I trust him?

Instead of heading straight down to breakfast, I jumped into my bed and covered myself with the blankets—the house really was freezing. It seemed like as good a place as any to think for a few minutes.

Edward claimed that there were only these three instances, and I believed him. If I was going to leave him for these, as he worried, there was no reason for him to not tell me if there were more. And they weren't the only times that the Spencers had been here in the last two years, so it wasn't as if he had jumped her at every chance he got. Also, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared and imagined. In my mind, I had seen passionate embraces and planned rendezvous, not a drunken fumbling on the couch.

I didn't remember much about his twenty-fourth birthday, mostly because I hadn't been there. Since neither Alice nor I were twenty-one, we chose to go to her house, because she thought they planned to go out. And at the Christmas party, I recalled that the guys had started drinking while the caterer was setting up, because Esme had complained about it—loudly. Had his judgment been impaired in both of those instances? Unequivocally. Was he still responsible for his actions? Yeah, he was.

I also thought a little bit about his question and wondered what role my lassitude had played. I had never thought to approach him, and I'd made my own life here without him in it. As he hadn't invited me into his, I hadn't welcomed him into mine, either. Not once did I approach him, and I had left him to his own devices without another thought on his birthday. So, could I take some of the responsibility for our distance? I thought I should. There were two of us in this marriage, and neither of us had worked very hard for it.

It didn't excuse his infidelity, because nothing could do that, but it helped me to put things into perspective a little better. I wanted to be angry, to yell and scream, but the emotion was just not there. I was . . . relieved.

Ever since the plane crash, it had been abundantly clear to me that I wanted him as a part of my life. Living without him hadn't crossed my mind since then, but it had clearly crossed his. Our discussions while he was gone were unsatisfying, and I had taken a lot of my frustrations out on him. He wasn't here for me to see the response to my attacks, and so I had felt free to let them loose. Perhaps they had left more of a mark than I'd intended.

How did we move on from here? Edward's suggestion of one day at a time made sense, but it seemed like we should communicate better and let each other know what we wanted. Make a plan. I didn't want to leave him, and I thought he should know that. Had I forgiven him yet? No, and I thought it would still take more time. The hurt was still raw, but I wanted to make our marriage more real in the meantime.

A soft knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts and into the present. "Come in," I called.

The door swung open, and Edward appeared, a concerned expression on his face.

"Bella, are you all right? You didn't come down."

I smiled slightly. "I was getting ready to. I was just thinking for a few minutes."

He raised his eyebrow, and then his forehead pulled together. "It's been an hour," he whispered.

"It has?" I asked in surprise. "I'm sorry!"

He held up a bagel for me. "I knew you were hungry, so I brought you something. I'm not sure when we will be eating lunch, since everyone just ate."

I patted the bed next to me, and he crawled underneath the heavy covers. He handed me the bagel, and I ate it eagerly. In between bites, I asked, "Is the heat going to be back on anytime soon?"

Edward groaned. "No. Dad and Emmett fiddled with the heat pump this morning, but it won't kick back on. Dad suspects that a lightning strike shorted something, and the repair man can't get here until tomorrow morning. Emmett and Jasper ran over to the farm in the truck and are bringing back some extra firewood, and I'm going to go get some from the woods."

"It's even colder outside," I complained. "Don't you think a campfire is sort of pointless?"

He laughed. "The fireplace in the basement is wood burning, so we all figured that we would camp out in there. There is a TV down there, so we can watch the games once they come on."

I made a face. Sitting in a warm room sounded really enticing, but I was more inclined to go to the store and buy some space heaters than to spend all day in the basement. "Do we have any other options?" I asked with a grimace.

Edward gave me a strange look. "You don't want to spend Sunday afternoon with the family?"

I twisted the remains of the bagel in my fingers and popped it into my mouth to give me a few more seconds to gather my thoughts. When I finally spoke, I kept my face down, so I didn't have to look at Edward. "It's not that. I don't want to spend the day in the basement."

"What's wrong with the . . ." He trailed off as he realized why I didn't want to be there. "Oh."

An uncomfortable silence settled between us. I didn't know what else to say, and neither, it seemed, did he. Finally, he broke it. "I'm sorry, Bella," he murmured with deep regret.

"It's okay. Well, not actually, and I just don't think I can handle that today. I suppose I'll get over it eventually, but thinking about you fucking her on that couch makes my skin crawl," I said with disgust.

"Thinking about fucking her on that couch makes _my_ skin crawl," he answered bluntly and I tried to repress a smile. "What do you want to do, then? Shall we go out? Stay in here all day?"

I shrugged. I liked the latter idea more than I should have but it felt weird. "Let me get showered, and I'll think about it. How long do I have before the first game starts?"

"It's almost noon now, so you have a little over an hour. Where would you like me to meet you?" he asked.

"I'll come downstairs. I don't want to be difficult and pull you away . . ." I started saying.

"Bella, I want to spend the day with you, and if you don't want to be in the basement, we'll find somewhere else to be. While you get cleaned up, I'm going to go get the wood for everyone else."

Edward kissed me on the head and scooted out of the bed. He shivered, and I beckoned him back to the bed. As soon as he was close enough, I yanked him to me and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for telling me," I whispered.

"You don't deserve any less. I'm just sorry that there was anything to have to tell you," he said mournfully.

I chuckled darkly. "And there better never be anything else like this that you have to say. If there is, I'll have to dismember you and someday, I intend to use that part of you, so that would be a damn shame."

"I am positive that I'm never going to understand you," he laughed, shifting away from me again. I stuck my lip out in a pout. "It will never happen again, I promise." He paused and took a deep breath. "All right, I'm going to get firewood, and you're going to shower. If you want to cuddle in this bed all day at that point, I'll be right here." He kissed me quickly and made his way out the door.

I sighed and climbed out into the cold room. He was right—we did need some distance. Just a couple of hours ago, he was confessing all of the details of his affair to me. I had come to my own conclusions over the last week, but in hindsight, my actions and words had been erratic, and I couldn't blame him for being cautious.

After my shower, I put on my warmest clothes and made the trek downstairs. Emmett and Jasper were carrying the couch from the rec room down the stairs.

"What's with the couch?" I asked curiously.

Emmett huffed and set his end down. "Dear God, this thing's heavy. We have to have somewhere to sit, so we're moving this one for now."

"Pick it back up, you ass," Jasper grumbled. "If I set it down, I'm not picking it back up."

"But there's already two couches down there," I protested.

"Not any more," Jasper replied, and then grunted under the strain.

Emmett picked his end back up and started walking backward down the stairs.

I wondered if Edward had finished gathering the firewood, and I looked out the back door. There, on the edge of the clearing, sat the couch from downstairs near the huge pile of branches that usually sat there. Edward was next to it, and I saw his wrist flick. The couch exploded in a huge ball of flames, and I took off running.

"Edward!" I screamed. "Step back! What are you doing?"

His profile flickered in the light of the flames as he watched the inferno dispassionately. As I got closer, I could see that he was out of harm's way, but he still hadn't answered my question.

I clutched onto his arm, breathing heavily from my dash, and tried to twist him to look at me. "What are you doing, Edward?" I asked again.

"Burning the couch," he answered simply.

"Why?" I asked incredulously.

"It makes you unhappy," he said, finally turning to look at me. "You were never going to be comfortable around it, and it's ugly anyway. This way, we get some use out of it. It's warm."

"Edward!" Esme yelled from the door. "Is that my couch?" She sounded mad.

"Yep, Mom. Well, it was your couch," he yelled back over his shoulder. His eyes still studied the flames. "Tell Alice what you want, and I'll buy you a new one tomorrow."

She opened and closed her mouth, but we never heard her say anything. After a minute or so, she turned and walked back into the house.

For the first time, I understood how houses caught on fire from a simple cigarette. The couch was fully engulfed, and only the wooden and metal frame remained. We stood there, watching the flames in silence for a few minutes, and I had to admit that the heat was nice in the cold morning air. I still didn't understand _his_ motivation for the pyrotechnics, though.

"Edward?" I said quietly.

"Hmm?" Hedidn't turn to look at me, but I knew I had his attention.

I touched his arm, and he finally turned his head. His eyes were swimming in pain. "Why is the couch on fire?" I asked softly.

"Because it's all I can do to make this easier for you. No matter how much I want to, I can't go back in time and make it so it never happened. I can't completely cut her out of our lives, because of the rest of our family. So, I'll burn the couch," he said, and I could hear the desperation in his voice.

His despondency concerned me, and I wondered what he was thinking. It seemed like we were going to miss at least part of the first game after all.

"Come on," I encouraged, tugging on his arm. "Let's go in. It's cold out here, and I want to talk to you."

"Can't," he answered emotionlessly. "I can't leave the fire unattended. Go on in, and I'll meet you downstairs."

He was unmovable, much to my dismay, and I trudged back to the house with a heavy heart. Somehow, instead of his confession being freeing for him, as it was for me, it weighed him down further.

There was a roaring fire in the basement, and I was able to lose a layer as soon as I entered the room. The couch from the rec room now occupied the place the other one had been in, and bowls of snacks littered each of the tables. Oddly enough, that one simple thing did change the feel of the room to me. The rest of the family was already here, including Esme and Carlisle, and the game was blaring from the TV.

"Where's Edward?" Carlisle asked immediately. It wasn't mere curiosity—there was concern in his voice.

I gave him a weak smile. "He's making sure the fire burns out."

Esme huffed. "And what in the world gave him the idea to burn my couch?"

This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with the whole family, so I merely shrugged and filled my mouth with popcorn. Emmett distracted everyone with a loud commentary on the Bears game that was on TV, and I allowed it to capture my attention while I waited for Edward.

By halftime, though, I was getting worried and snuck away. Edward was no longer visible in the backyard. His forlorn expression flashed through my mind and my heart started racing in fear. I wandered through the house, with each step getting faster and faster. My steps led me in the direction of our offices, and I heard the faint sound of voices coming from within his.

"—couldn't get a proper fix on his hair color," one of the voices said, and I burst through the door.

Demetri and Edward were pouring over some pictures on Edward's desk. They looked up at my loud appearance, and Edward's expression of shock must have mirrored my own. Demetri's face remained somewhat grim.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a slight panic.

"Nothing, baby," Edward tried to soothe, and he motioned for me to come to him. I sat in his lap and wrapped my arm around his torso while my heartbeat slowed. I needed to feel him to quell the panic that had set in. His arm curled around my waist and held me tight.

"Do you remember those pictures of you at the nightclub?" he asked softly after a couple of moments. I nodded.

"I asked Demetri to find out who brought them and why. He caught me as I was coming in," he explained. I gave him a quizzical look, and he continued. "Someone dropped off pictures of you, Bella. I was worried."

"Oh," I responded lamely. "What did you find, Demetri?"

He pointed to the guy from the security footage at the front gate. "This guy was paid a few bucks to bring them over. Luckily, the corner where he was propositioned has three security cameras, and I was able to . . . get a copy of the footage. It's taken a little time, though," he said apologetically.

I waved it away and motioned for him to continue.

"This guy" –he showed us some pictures from the other cameras-"looked really familiar to me, but I couldn't get a fix on his hair color to be sure. I sent the film out to someone I know in video enhancement, and he worked his magic. I had planned on seeing if I could get someone to run the blown up picture through the CODIS database, but it wasn't necessary. I know the guy."

Edward's head whipped up to him in shock. "Who is it?"

"His name is Laurent Villstock. He works . . . security for Marcus Windemere, amongst other things," Demetri said with distaste.

"What do you mean by 'amongst other things?'" I asked.

Demetri sighed. "Mostly, it's rumor. When Mr. Windemere hired him, he had been working for Victor Donnelly. Donnelly has a lot of connections with some . . . unsavory elements and has been arrested several times for his involvement in organized crime. Nothing ever stuck, but that doesn't mean much. I've gotten the impression that Laurent still uses his old connections from time to time."

Edward shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. Why would Marcus Windemere care that Bella went out to a club? What point are they trying to make?"

"I don't know, Mr. Cullen. I didn't want to say anything to Laurent until I talked to you," Demetri said.

But the name registered a somewhat recent memory for me, and I wondered if I wasn't the point all along. "Edward, what would happen to the property that my father gave to you if we were to get an annulment or a divorce?"

Edward stiffened against me, but I rubbed his back in an attempt to settle him down. "Now? I've already signed it over to you as a gift, so nothing."

"In a divorce, right? But if we were to get an annulment . . ."

Demetri cut in. "It would be as if you were never married." He looked a little sheepish. "Sorry, my ex had our marriage annulled just to piss me off."

"And that property would revert back to my dad?" I led.

Understanding lit Edward's eyes, and then he shook his head. "But there has to be a reason for annulment, and one of us would have to file for it. That doesn't make sense."

"Wasn't James Windemere the one that told you how old I was on our wedding day?" I asked pointedly, trying to get him to follow my train of thought. "Maybe he thought if you saw me out with someone else, it would motivate you to act."

"Yeah, but what would have given him the idea that I would be interested in seeking an annulment in the first place? For all he knew, I knew where you were and who you were with," Edward argued. "Other than our family, no one else knew about our problems."

I just raised my eyebrow at him and stared knowingly. I knew the second my earlier conclusions had dawned on him.

"You don't think . . ." he asked in surprise, but there was a steely edge to his voice.

I shrugged. "It's worth considering."

"He had to have some motivation, Mr. Cullen," Demetri cut in. "It's probably not wise to rule anything out at this point."

Edward sighed in aggravation. "You're right. What do you suggest we do, Demetri?"

"Why do we need to do anything?" I interrupted. "He sent you the pictures to illicit a reaction, and for his intents and purposes, that plan failed."

"Because he has a reason for what he's doing, Mrs. Cullen," Demetri answered, and I looked at him like he had two heads.

"Since when do you call me 'Mrs. Cullen?'" I muttered.

"Sorry, Bella," he said with a smile. "My point is, though, that he had a reason for sending these pictures. If, as you suggest, it was to get your land, he might not stop trying. He's been working on this for two and a half years, and I doubt he would leave it with such a half-assed attempt."

"But what is he going to do? He can't force us to get an annulment, right?" I glanced between the two of them and saw the fear in Edward's eyes. "What?"

"Bella, I don't want you going out without Demetri or me, okay?" Edward said shakily.

"No, that's not okay," I replied indignantly. I stood and paced to the other side of the room. "Do you think he's going to try to influence me into this? It's not going to work!"

Edward took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, Bella, I don't think he's going to be subtle a third time. What if he tries to hurt you?"

"Hurting me doesn't get him what he wants! That makes no sense," I stated.

Demetri gently pushed me into a chair and squatted next to it. "Bella, it could. If something were to happen to you—"

"Not going to happen, Demetri," Edward growled.

I sighed and shook my head. "The property would revert to Edward. He's my husband."

"If he were to have evidence of some sort that could prove that the marriage was a sham and only entered into for the transfer of said property, an influenced judge could deem the transfer illegal," Demetri said patiently.

My eyes widened. "The property would go back to Dad, then, and he doesn't have another heir," I gasped.

"Exactly." Demetri stood, walked back to the desk, and gathered up the pictures. "What's so special about this land, Bella? Why does he want it?"

"I don't know," I whispered. "Edward?" I looked at my husband, and his face was pale.

He shook his head. "I don't know, either. I suppose we'll have to ask your dad. In the meantime, can you please take me or Demetri with you when you go out? Please?" His voice was strained.

I nodded. "Okay." If it would rest his mind easier, then I would do it for now.

Demetri and Edward continued to make plans, and I thought of all the trouble James Windemere had to have gone to, to set up this scheme. I also wondered if Tanya's money troubles were somehow intertwined.

Demetri left like a man on a mission, and Edward escorted me back to the basement. He barely strayed from my side all night, and the furrows in his forehead affirmed his worry. The rest of the family seemed to notice that something was off, but Edward waved away their concerns, and I just shrugged. It seemed that he didn't want to involve everyone yet.

We went up to bed before the final game ended. With all of the turmoil of the day, I just didn't care enough to see the Patriots decimate Cowboys. When we got to my door, Edward turned to me and spoke for the first time in several hours.

"Will you stay with me tonight, Bella? Please?" he murmured while tucking a strand of hair behind my ears. "I normally wouldn't ask, but I need to feel you near me tonight. To know that you're okay."

"I'll be fine, Edward. You don't need to worry. But yes, if it will make you feel better, I'll stay. Just let me get changed, and I'll be right over," I reassured him.

"Thank you," he breathed and kissed my forehead.

I opened my door and stepped inside. I did take my time getting ready for bed. Thoughts raced through my mind, and I didn't know if I should reopen the other wounds right now or not. In the end, I figured that if it came up, I would tell him what I was thinking, but he had enough to worry about at the moment.

Edward was sitting on the edge of his bed waiting for me when I walked in, and he gave me a tight smile. "What time do you need to get up?" he asked, leaning over to the alarm clock.

I shrugged. "I want to go over to the university in the morning to register for classes, but I don't actually have to be anywhere until two-thirty. Whenever you have to get up will be fine."

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked tightly. He knew that I wasn't particularly happy about this situation, and I knew he was trying not to antagonize me with it.

"You can if you have time. If not, I'll ask Demetri," I said casually.

He glanced back over at me and gave me a small smile. "Thank you, Bella. I know you probably think I'm overreacting."

I just smiled at him and climbed into the bed.

After turning off the lights, he lay down facing me and brushed the hair away from my face. "What are you thinking?" he murmured.

"We should probably tell the rest of the family. They all noticed your mood tonight, and it might be useful to have more people on the lookout," I noted. "Also, I think you should talk to your dad about it. If we are right in how this all came about, the situation with the missing money might be related."

"I hadn't thought of that," Edward conceded. "Do you really think so?"

"It's something to consider, at least. I thought she might be protecting someone or something, and maybe this is it." I shrugged.

"I'll talk to Dad in the morning, and we'll tell the family tomorrow night at dinner," he agreed. We were both quiet for a couple of minutes, before Edward took a deep breath and clasped my hand. "Are you okay, Bella? I know that this morning was . . . pretty rough."

"Actually, I think I am," I told him honestly. "My imagination was worse than reality, I think. I don't particularly like the mental pictures now lodged in my brain, but they are better than the fake ones I had conjured up."

I took a deep breath of my own and continued. "I know that the last couple of weeks have been tough on both of us, but I realized something when you were on your way home from Italy. I've tried to show you this week, but I guess I haven't done a good job. I _want_ to be your wife. We have a long way to go on the road to forgiveness, but that doesn't mean that we can't figure out the rest of it along the way."

Edward's eyes were wide, and his eyes searched mine. "Really?" he breathed. "That's what you want?"

I squirmed a little bit. Edward's reaction wasn't quite what I was expecting. I couldn't determine how he felt about it. "Well, yeah, if . . . if that's all right with you," I stuttered.

He moved so fast that I didn't realize he'd moved until my face was in his hands and his lips were on mine. His kiss was so passionate and caring that I had no doubt as to how he felt.

"Oh, Bella," he breathed when he pulled back. He stared into my eyes and smiled the first real smile I'd seen all day.

I inched forward and kissed him chastely to confirm what I had already said. As soon as our lips connected again, he tugged my body forward so that we were touching as much as possible. I could feel the hard lines of his body next to mine, and it stirred the familiar feelings I often had when Edward was around.

His tongue ran across my bottom lip, and I instantly opened my mouth for him. As our tongues danced and caressed each other, my free hand wound into his hair. Edward held the back of my neck securely with one hand, and the other freely roamed my back. His touch felt so good, and I pressed myself even closer to him. I tugged on his bronze locks and moaned as his hand grazed a bit of exposed skin at my waistband. Edward grabbed my ass and rocked his hips into mine. His arousal was very evident, and it felt so good against my barely covered sex.

I moaned again, and Edward trailed kisses along my jaw and onto my neck. Heat flooded my body. Never had I felt like this before—it was indescribable. Edward's hand slowly shifted off my ass and up my back. This time, I could feel his soft hands touching every inch of my skin as he slowly caressed me.

"Is this okay?" he whispered as he grazed my ribs.

"Oh, God, yes," I groaned back. Just his touch on my back had me losing focus on the rest of the world. I also thought, with a smug sense of satisfaction, that Tanya hadn't gotten this side of him. He kissed me again, and his hands resumed their exploration. Feeling bold, I tugged on his shirt at the neckline. I wanted to see and feel him like he was feeling me, and I was convinced I couldn't do that with his shirt on.

When he didn't move to assist me, I tugged on it again and mumbled against his lips, "Off."

He pulled back and gazed at me with hooded eyes for just seconds, before sitting up and pulling his shirt off over his head. My hands reached up and gently ran over the defined muscles on display. Edward groaned and covered my mouth again with his. His hands pressed harder into my skin, and he grew bolder in his wandering. Gently, tenderly, his fingers grazed the side of my breast. My eyes rolled back in my head, and my head fell back on the pillow.

"Oh God," I whispered in pleasure. I rested my hand on his pectoral muscle, and he groaned. Slowly, oh so very slowly, his hand moved around and cupped me. A whimper escaped his lips, and he squeezed me softly.

"You're so perfect, baby," he murmured and ran his thumb over my erect nipple.

My entire body bucked at the contact. It had only ever felt my own fumbling fingers, and his were like a live wire to my nervous system. I opened my eyes and saw him staring straight at his hand under my shirt. His brow was creased in concentration, but his eyes were glazed with lust and want.

"Do you want me to take it off?" I whispered.

He whimpered again and nodded, but stilled my hand as I moved it to the hem. "Of course I want you to, love. But . . . don't."

"Why?" Hurt and rejection were knocking again, and I couldn't understand what I had done wrong.

He rocked against me again and kissed me hard on the mouth before answering. "Because I really don't want to stop at your shirt." His voice was deep and throaty, and it made me tingle all over.

I groaned at the sensations welling up within me, and I hooked my leg over his to get closer. Edward fell onto his back and pulled me over on top of him so that I was straddling him. The only things separating us were the thin scraps of fabric, and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to rip them away.

"Fuck it," Edward muttered and lifted my shirt off. For several long moments, he just stared at me, at my naked breasts, and my arms automatically moved to cover them. He caught them, though, and held them back.

"Jesus, Bella. I knew you were a beautiful woman, but . . . hell, that doesn't even come close. You have" –his large hands cupped both breasts— "such amazing breasts."

He rubbed his thumbs over my now very cold and very hard nipples. His gentle, but passion-filled touch ignited my fire once again, and I rocked against his cock. We both moaned at the contact, and he raised up slightly. His lips closed over my nipple, and I writhed in ecstasy. Flash bulbs and fireworks exploded behind my closed eyelids as my sudden orgasm over took me. I cried out and stilled with Edward's hard manhood trapped beneath me.

"Oh God, Bella," he moaned, and one of his hands rocked my hips.

All of my nerves lit up again, and I cried out as I felt him swell beneath me. His grunting cry filled my ears, and he kissed me furiously. It didn't last long, though, as we were both panting so hard. I collapsed onto his broad chest, and his arms encircled me.

As soon as our actions infiltrated my lust-induced haze, I giggled. It was my first orgasm not by my own hand, and it was incredible. I finally understood what the big deal was.

"What's so funny, love?" Edward murmured into my ear.

"Did you?" I whispered back. "Did you come, too?"

He grinned at me. "Why yes, Mrs. Cullen, I did. Did you enjoy that?"

I giggled again and nodded shyly. What was appropriate here? Did I say "thanks for the mind-numbing orgasm" and roll over?

"I'm glad," he whispered softly and kissed my swollen lips gently. "I'll be right back." He climbed out of bed and walked awkwardly across the room.

"Where are you going?" I asked. I'd be lying to myself if I said it didn't hurt a little that he was walking away from me.

In three strides, he was standing at the edge of my side of the bed and running the back of his hand over my cheek. "I just want to change my pants, love. I'll only be a second. It just gets . . . rather uncomfortable after a while."

"Oh, okay," I said with a grin.

He returned my smile and hastily went into the bathroom. I used my time to find my shirt and pull it back on. True to his word, he was back in the bed in mere moments and pulling me against him.

"Thank you, Bella," he said softly into my hair, once we were situated with my back to his chest. "Thank you for taking the chance with me and allowing me to be part of your life. You are my world, and I hope one day I'll be able to make you see just how special you are to me."

The lump in my throat expanded at his sweet words, and I just managed to get out, "You're welcome," before I was afraid to speak any more for the tears. For the first time in more than two years, I was really and truly happy.

**Whew! Here we are at the end. I know that you all are going to have a lot of feelings about how this went down and, with no little trepidation, I say "let me hear it." There will be more ramifications for his affair—I promise. That's not over yet. **

**A teaser for chapter 14 will be sent to all of you that review, and it will be different than the one that I'll post on the forum. **


	14. Chapter 14: Strides

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable features are actually the property of their respective owners while this story is mine. Please don't use it without my permission as that is theft and not cool. **

**A/N: You guys are seriously awesome. TAM made it to second round in the Avant Garde awards thanks to you. Go check it out again this week and let's see if we can win!**

**Thank you to everyone that has held my hand through all the . . . fun this week and for being patient with me. Also, thanks to Riss usc_mam for pre-reading, and Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing. Please send a few thoughts and prayers up for bonnysammy. She needs them right now and she's such a wonderful person. On with the show!**

**Chapter 14: Strides**

**BPOV**

Edward's alarm ripped me from the best sleep I'd had in years, and I was still groggy when he got out of bed.

"Stay here, baby," he whispered into my ear. "You can lay here as long as you want."

I thought I mumbled something in response, but I wasn't certain. I rolled over and burrowed further into the covers, desperate to block out the noise and light. Edward was extremely quiet as he got ready, and I didn't hear him leave. In fact, I didn't move again until the clock showed that it was nine thirty.

I got ready as quickly as I could and went to find Demetri to ask if he could take me over to the university. He agreed readily, and I went to let Edward know that I was leaving. His office door was closed when I walked up, so I knocked softly.

"Come in," he called, and he didn't sound particularly happy. As soon as the door swung open, I saw why. Carlisle was sitting across from him with a stack of papers spread from one side of the desk to the other.

"Hey," I said with a smile at seeing my husband. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading over to school."

He smiled back and I instantly felt warm. "Do you need me to come with you?"

"No, you finish up here. Demetri's taking me. I might need him to take me over to New Horizons after, if that's okay."

He nodded. "Is he going to stay with you?"

I shook my head. "I don't think that's necessary. I'll just have him come back and get me. If that's all right with you, of course. Security is pretty good over there with all the kids on site," I added.

He smiled at me again and strode over to the door. Gently, he kissed me and rubbed his thumb over my cheek. "Be safe," he whispered.

I nodded and blushed as I caught sight of Carlisle's astonished expression over his shoulder. It felt a little odd to be showing our relationship so publically. I wasn't sure what that conversation was going to entail, but I was sure there was going to be a discussion.

Demetri was pleasant company, as usual, on our way over to the registrar's office. He did, however, watch the mirrors a little more, and scout the grounds as we walked to the main building. The fact that James had someone follow me and take pictures of me was weird, but here in the light of day, I was having trouble feeling the same sense of unease that Demetri and Edward were.

The registrar was packed, and we waited our turn in the somewhat cramped office. Despite the cold day, the office was sweltering and smelled slightly musty. When the lady at the counter finally called my name, I was more than ready to get out of there. Only one of my classes was already full, but I randomly chose another one I had marked.

Demetri was slightly edgier when we left the school just after one, but I didn't ask what had gotten to him. I decided to go over to New Horizons, because I would just have to leave again right away if we went home. He wasn't happy about just leaving me there, but relented after I told him that Edward had approved it and to pick me up at five. I rolled my eyes, feeling like an overprotected child for a few minutes. It annoyed me slightly, but it wasn't so overbearing that I couldn't deal with it for a short time. Nevertheless, Demetri watched me intently until I had made it through the doors.

Since I was so early, none of the kids were there yet, and it gave me time to get the room set up properly. I also walked over to the kitchen to see if the ladies would be willing and able to make a healthy snack for them. I had noticed that the girls who had something to eat were usually easier to talk to and more thoughtful than those that were hungry. Since we had already discussed the importance of a healthy diet, I wanted to reinforce that lesson. Much to my surprise, the kitchen staff was thrilled with the task, and Paula gathered them all together to discuss what options would be best. In the end, they chose to go with simple, and agreed to deliver apple slices, peanut butter, and carrot sticks just before the girls were due to arrive.

The topic on the board was fashion, so I went to see Nadya. She allowed me to borrow several pieces as demonstration tools, and I was barely able to get them into the room before the girls started arriving.

"What are those doing here?" Avery, one of my more tom-boyish girls, asked of the dresses hanging on the rack.

I laughed. "Oh, Avery, those are _just _for you!" I teased, and two of the other girls just arriving laughed along with me.

"Whatever," she muttered. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that." She took her seat as the rest of the group came in, and they were followed by the snack lady.

As soon as everyone had their snacks and had quieted down, I started things off. "Okay, last week, Rebecca chose fashion out of the box, so that's what we are going to talk about today. More specifically, what kind of images different fashions imply. Each of us has our own style, and as soon as someone sees us, they use that information to make a judgment on our personality. For instance, when you look at Avery, do you see someone that likes to shop, or someone that would prefer to play sports? Why?"

They all agreed that she was more of a sporty girl.

We went through the different outfits I had borrowed from Nadya. The business suit exuded power and intelligence, and the mini-skirt and tube top screamed "cheap hooker." I could only internally shake my head at what people felt the need to donate. We talked about the importance of dressing how you wanted to be taken. If you wanted your elders to see you as a responsible person, you had to look like one as well.

"My big sister always says that what you wear underneath is just as important as what others see," Tina said hesitantly. "She says that underwear makes the woman."

"Yeah, when I wear my PINK underwear, I always feel more fun and flirty," Sandy interjected.

"I wonder if sexy lingerie has the same effect," Melissa pondered. "Bella?"

I flushed a deep scarlet and pondered what else that lingerie did, according to my sister-in-laws. Perhaps, I might have a chance to test it now . . . Their staring eyes brought me back to the topic at hand, and I thought about their question.

"Yes, I suppose it does. Knowing that you are beautiful down to your skin can give you a lot of confidence," I answered. "No one else has to know that it's there, but you do, and that's all that matters."

Kate knocked on the door, signaling that our time for the day was over, and the girls reluctantly gathered their bags.

"Jenny," I called to a shy girl that listened more than she spoke. "It's your turn to pick the topic for Wednesday. Can you come draw it out now?"

She nodded timidly and walked slowly over to the box. Tentatively, she reached her hand in and pulled out a slip of paper. She looked nervous as she handed it over to me. Jenny had confessed to me when we started this that she was anxious about some of the more intimate topics that were put into the box.

I gave her what I hoped was an encouraging smile and unfolded the paper. Finances. That should be somewhat safe.

"Okay, girls, on Wednesday, we are going to talk about money," I yelled over the din of girls getting ready to leave. There were a few groans, and I laughed. No one really liked to think about what stuff cost when they were teenagers.

I quickly restacked the chairs and grabbed the snack tray to take back to the kitchen. Demetri would be waiting for me, and I knew he had better things to do than wait for me. Tina and Melissa came rushing back in just as I was getting ready to leave, tittering about something.

"Aren't you all supposed to be on your way home?" I asked, amused.

"Oh my gosh, Bella, the cutest guy is standing at the other end of the gym," Melissa gushed.

"Like flaming hot," Tina added. "You have to see him." She tugged on my arm and pulled me over to the door. "I wanna talk about _him_ on Wednesday."

I chuckled. These girls were always boy crazy, but usually, they played it a little cooler about the boys that came to the center. They cracked the door and told me to look over by the door at the other end of the gym. I heard them giggling behind me as my eyes scanned the crowd of teenage boys. Then, my eyes found the object of their affection, and I giggled with them. Edward was leaning against the door frame, with his long legs crossed in front of him. He was the picture of relaxation and cool as he observed the basketball game in full swing on the court.

"Do you see him?" Tina asked me urgently.

I turned around with a grin on my face. "Yes, I see him. And no, we won't be talking about him on Wednesday."

"But, Bella!" Melissa whined.

I just laughed and grabbed my bag. "Come on, girls. It's time to go. Besides, my husband is waiting to take me home."

Slightly dejected, they followed me across the gym, mumbling about me being a spoilsport. When we got close to Edward, I called for him, and his face broke into a huge smile when he saw me. He pushed off the doorframe and walked over to me in two strides.

"Hey, baby," he said with a grin.

"Hey," I returned with a smile. "Edward, this is Melissa and this is Tina." I pointed to each in turn. "Girls, this is my husband, Edward."

Internally, I giggled at their reaction and marveled at the smug feeling coursing through me. They stopped and just stared at him with their mouths slightly open. Finally, Tina must have realized that she had been staring a little too long, because she blushed and mumbled, "Nice to meet you." Melissa just waved and playfully glared at me.

"Oh yes, we will talk about this Wednesday," she said with a raised eyebrow, before stalking off to the front door and dragging Tina behind her.

"What was that all about?" Edward asked in an amused tone.

I laughed and looped my arm through his. "Ah, well, I think two of my girls might have a crush on this 'flaming hot' guy they saw. I think Melissa is disappointed that he's not available."

Edward laughed. "Nope, definitely _not_ available. Are you ready to go?"

"I just need to drop this off in the kitchen," I said, flashing the tray around.

He nodded and accompanied me through the hallways. While we walked, I told him a little bit about New Horizons and what each area did for those that came here. He was suitably impressed.

"So, not that I'm complaining, but why are you picking me up?" I asked as we headed for the car.

"I just wanted to," he said simply. He held the door open for me and let me get in. I didn't miss his watchful eyes scanning the area, though.

Dinner was ready when we arrived at the house, and we went straight to our normal places at the table. Once everyone had eaten most of their food, Edward cleared his throat to gain their attention.

"There are some things going on that you all need to be aware of," he started. Everyone quieted down and shifted to face him.

"No kidding," Emmett said under his breath but loud enough for all of us to hear. "You all are actually speaking."

"Ha, ha, Emmett," Edward muttered sarcastically. "The situation is kind of serious, and I, well, _we_ need you to be aware."

Alice's and Esme's eyes grew round, and the boys stilled. Rosalie just leaned back in her chair and waited for the explanation.

"Before our trip to the Spencers', someone dropped off an envelope of pictures for me. They were of Bella at a night club, and could have been taken very negatively."

I patted his leg and rolled my eyes, remembering all too well how negatively they _had_ been taken.

"I asked Demetri to look into the matter, and it appears that someone close to the Windemere family has been following Bella. This isn't the first time that James Windemere has attempted to interfere with our marriage, and I am concerned that he is going to escalate his . . . actions."

Emmett gave Edward a look clearly meant to display what he thought of Edward's accusations. And knowing how Emmett felt about Edward's own behavior, I was sure that whatever came out of his mouth wasn't going to be kind. "First of all, what would James do to interfere with your marriage that's worse that what you managed on your own, and second, why would he care?"

Edward visibly stiffened at the reminder, and I gripped his hand to calm him. I also answered instead. "There is some land that has been in my father's family for generations, and he wanted to pass it down to me. A long time ago, a clause was put in the deed that it could only be passed to a direct male heir, which is where Edward comes in. The Windemeres are my father's second cousins, or something like that, and would inherit the property if a male heir wasn't available," I supplied. "Edward turned the property over to me on my birthday."

"At our wedding," Edward said after having cooled down a bit, "James was the one to tell me how old Bella was, and now, he's having pictures taken that, I'm sure, were intended to prompt me to end our relationship. Since that didn't work, I'm concerned that he might go to other lengths to remove Bella from the picture."

"But why would he even think that would work?" Rosalie scoffed. "For all he knows, you are happily married. All her assets would go to you if something happened, anyway."

Edward gave her a tight smile. "Not if he had something he felt could convince a judge that our marriage wasn't . . . valid."

"How could he . . ." Rosalie trailed off as realization dawned, and her mouth froze in a perfect O.

Carlisle spoke up for the first time. "Bella had the idea that perhaps the missing money from the Darton Construction accounts could be related, and after looking things over with Edward again, I'm wondering if she isn't on to something."

"Why does he care so much?" Jasper piped up. "There has to be a reason that he would stoop to violence, if that's really where he's going with this."

Edward shook his head. "We don't know. Bella and I are going to have to make a trip up to see her dad this week." It was sort of surreal to listen to this fantastic life being described and realize that it was mine.

Alice shot up. "You aren't going to be gone on Wednesday, are you?" Her voice was slightly panicked.

Edward raised his eyebrows. "I thought we might go over the weekend, but why does it matter?"

Alice let out an exasperated sigh. "The Halloween Masquerade? Did you forget? Not that Bella's safety isn't more important, but we've been planning it for months, and I already have your costumes!"

"It's fine, Alice," I placated. "I have to be at New Horizons on Wednesday, so it would be better to go closer to the weekend. Don't worry, we'll still be there."

Emmett scratched his chin. "Do you really think this James guy is going to try something? It seems . . . extreme."

Carlisle jumped in before Edward had a chance to answer. "It does seem a bit extreme, Emmett, but he's already tried to interfere twice, and the longer he waits, the less likely he is to prove that they are only married for convenience. Throw in fifty thousand of missing funds, and the situation becomes even more precarious. The point is that we all just need to be aware of our surroundings and keep an eye on Bella."

Everyone nodded and stood to leave the table. I grabbed Alice's arm and glared at her. "What do you mean, you already have our costumes? Just what are you expecting us to be?" I didn't really mind that she'd taken the initiative, but I hated that she did stuff like this without consulting me.

She looked slightly taken aback. "I thought we'd all go as couples from different decades. Jasper and I are going as a mobster and his flapper, Carlisle and Esme are hippies, Rose and Emmett are a typical 50's housewife and businessman, and you and Edward are going as a WWII soldier and his wife. Is that all right?"

I sighed. "Yes, that sounds wonderful, but next time, can you talk to me first, please?"

"Okay. I didn't realize you wanted to know," she said in a conciliatory tone. "Would you like to see them?"

"That would be great."

I followed Alice upstairs, and she whipped open her closet door to reveal eight hanging clothes bags. She rifled through them and pulled two out. Edward's uniform was a typical dress class uniform from 1944, and I knew he would look great in it. Mine was a beautiful gray dress with a crossed and pleated bodice. The high waist was accentuated with a thin belt, and the shirt flowed from there in the same cross and pleat pattern as the top. Long gloves that would stretch above my elbow complimented the dress perfectly, and I couldn't wait to wear it.

"Alice, that is . . . gorgeous! Where did you find it?" I asked breathlessly.

She smiled. "I made it. My grandmother had one just like it, and I used that as a model. Hers wasn't in good enough shape to wear, unfortunately."

I just gaped at her. "You . . . I . . . Alice! That's incredible!"

She just shrugged, as if it wasn't any big deal, and smiled at me while repacking the dress in its protective cover.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," I apologized. "I didn't realize how much work you had put into this."

"It's okay. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it earlier," she said, and I gave her a big hug.

Once she had mine put away, she showed me all of the others, and I had to hand it to her, they were fantastic. I wasn't sure how many of them she had made, but each one was period perfect. She really had talent, and I wondered idly if she'd ever considered using it professionally. It also reminded me that I hadn't said anything to Esme about organizing a drive for New Horizons.

When I left Alice, I immediately sought Esme out. Her office was dark, so I strolled over to her room. She was sitting in her chair, marking through some documents with the door open, when I found her.

"Esme? Do you have a minute?" I asked quietly from the doorway.

"Of course, Bella. What can I do for you?" she responded kindly, setting down her papers and pen.

I stepped in, feeling a bit timid for some reason, and perched on the edge of a nearby settee. "I wanted to talk to you about New Horizons," I started.

"Is everything okay there? I thought you were enjoying it," she responded, slightly taken aback.

"Oh, I am," I hastened to assure her. "One of the things that they do is to provide business attire for some of the women there, and I thought we might be able to help. I meant to mention it a couple of weeks ago, but I forgot."

"How can they afford to buy clothing for all those women?" she asked.

I laughed. "They don't. It's all donated, and Nadya tailors it for each of them. That's why I thought we might be able to help. I know that Rose has several suits and outfits in her closet that she never wears, and I thought we might be able to organize something."

"Good idea, Bella. I am sure that we can do that. I know that Carmen cleans out her closet every two or three years."

"Not to mention what's in her daughter's," I agreed. If Tanya was spending ten thousand dollars on clothes in one weekend, I was certain that she had more than enough to give away.

Esme laughed and nodded. "Can you draft a notice about it? Just something we can send out. I'll talk to Rachel and see how they want to handle it."

"Thanks, Esme." I smiled and turned to leave.

"Bella?" she called after me. I twisted back around. "This thing with James Windemere, is this something you're really worried about?"

I sighed and sat back down, rolling my eyes slightly as I did so. "No, not really, but Edward is. Unless there's something he and Demetri didn't tell me, I don't really see the threat. Yeah, he's tried to cause problems, but escalating to violence?" I shrugged.

"Well, just be careful, okay? And if you need anything, let me know." Esme smiled at me, and I gave her a quick hug before leaving. It was getting late.

Edward was reading through some papers on my couch when I got up to my room. As soon as he saw me, he set them aside and gave me a tired smile.

"So, what did you find today?" I asked as I made my way over to him.

He yawned. "The money has been taken in a couple of different ways, so I'm not entirely sure that it's only one person involved. There are short deposits, and strange cash withdrawals on one hand. Then, there's a contractor that has been paid for work that was never done. I can't tell who set up the account, or who the payments went to, so Dad called Eleazar today to get a copy of the contract and the submittals."

"Who is the contractor?" I asked.

Edward shrugged. "They're listed as McFadden Asphalt, but there's no such company. I even Googled it. We've paid them more than thirty thousand dollars for materials and work that was never done over the past two years."

"Two years? I thought this was recent?"

"The shorted deposits are recent, and that's what drew my attention. It's been going on much longer than that, though," he answered.

I paused. "Why do you suspect Tanya, then? She's just taken things over, right?" The really mean part of me wanted it to be her, just for spite, but the timelines I had didn't match up.

He grimaced. "She just started managing the business, but she's been working in the office since she graduated two years ago—right before our wedding."

"Then why do you think it has anything to do with my land? I don't understand," I said.

"It's the timing and the details. Large payments were made around my birthday and Christmas last year. We had the bank trace where the checks are being cashed, and it's always at the same local bank. The manager was able to confirm that the Windemeres have an account there, but that's all he would tell us," Edward said with a shrug. "What was Alice's deal with the costumes?" He changed the subject abruptly, and although I allowed it, I knew that I would return to his point about the large transfers later.

Instead, I smiled. "She's made us all couple's costumes for the party. They're really nice." I sighed. "I just get tired of people making decisions for me without asking my opinion. I feel like what I want doesn't matter to anyone."

"It matters to me," Edward said quietly.

I gave him a sad smile. "I think it matters to you as long as you think what I want is best." Really, I wasn't trying to pick a fight, but I wanted him to understand how deep an impact his past decisions had made on my psyche.

Edward grimaced. "Do you still feel that way?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes."

He exhaled roughly and braced his forearms on his knees. Edward's expression, what I could see from his profile anyway, was pensive as he stared at the floor. "When do I—" he started to say, but cut himself off. He seemed to be trying to figure out what to say, but he kept falling short. "Tell me?" he finally asked.

"The trip to Italy, this thing with Windemere—those are the big ones," I answered softly.

He turned and gave me a quizzical look. "The trip to Italy? I asked if you wanted to come!" he said incredulously.

"Yes, but then you got mad when I said no," I explained.

"I got upset because I missed you and wanted you there with me. I respected your wishes, once you explained them, but shouldn't I be able to have my own feelings, too?" he asked, clearly frustrated. "And the Windemeres—clearly I'm missing something, because I thought your safety was important. At least, it is to me!"

I sighed. "But did you actually care why I didn't want to come?"

"Of course I cared, Bella, but it hurt to know that you didn't want to be around me. Especially knowing that it's my fault." Edward hung his head and curved his shoulders.

We sat in silence as I considered his words. Was his reaction merely because he was hurt and disappointed and not because he wasn't in control? It was possible. I thought back over his words and the rest of his defense finally registered.

"Why are you so sure that my safety is in jeopardy?" I asked, rather out of the blue since we had been talking about Italy.

"If Demetri's right about who this guy is, there's reason for concern. There have been rumors over the last few years on the underhanded things the Windemeres have done to solidify their power, and people that crossed them have gotten hurt. I'm worried . . . about you. Whatever's in that land is worth something to Windemere. If it wasn't, he would have given up a long time ago." Edward was clearly nervous, and I wasn't sure if it was because of his worry or that he thought I would be upset.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" I asked. Once again, I felt my frustration mounting.

Edward shrugged and turned to look at me. "I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily, and you seemed as concerned as I was when we talked about. It might be nothing, but what if it isn't? I can't lose you, Bella," he whispered, the pain clear in his voice.

I shifted closer to him and ran my hands up and down his arm. "It'll be okay."

He let out a breath that I didn't realize he was holding. "I'm sorry that I made you feel like your opinion didn't matter. Please understand that I do care—if you don't think I'm taking your opinion into account, just tell me. I'll listen."

"Okay," I whispered. "I guess we need to work on that. I'll tell you when I need you to listen, and you tell me the whole story."

He gave me a half smile. "Deal."

We sat there for a few more minutes, with just our arms touching. I finally broke the silence. "So, how was the rest of your day?"

Edward barked a laugh. "It sucked. I've been staring at little numbers in more than a dozen accounts, and my brain hurts. How did things go for you at the registrar's office?"

"I got four classes that I wanted and I think I'm going to like next semester. I decided to take an intro Psych course. With my work at New Horizons, I thought it would be interesting. Maybe I can do more for the girls," I told him excitedly. "They have so much potential, and I want to see them grow into it."

He grinned his crooked smile, and it reached his eyes. "That sounds great, love. Are you thinking about counseling, then?"

"Maybe. I really like working with them." I shrugged. "Between them and the family drama, though, I'm tired. Can we go to bed?"

Edward laughed. "Are you giving up on me already? It's barely ten o'clock!"

My face reddened, and I twisted my ring on my finger. I had never paid it much attention before, but lately, I had taken to playing with it when I was nervous. "Not exactly." I cringed as my voice broke. "I just thought we could move the conversation."

For a second, Edward looked confused, and when what I was asking dawned on him, he openly gaped at me. "Ah, do you mean that you want, um . . . are you suggesting . . . do you think we should . . ."

"Yes," I said firmly. "I'm tired, and I want to go to bed. Would you rather sleep in your bed or mine?"

"Whichever one you're going to be in is fine with me," he answered with a grin. "Are you sure about this?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think I am. Can we sleep in yours? It's more comfortable than mine."

"Sure." Edward stood and held out his hand to help me up.

I stretched onto my tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll be right there. Just let me wash my face and change."

"I'll be waiting," he called after me as I hurried through the door into my room.

This felt like an important step to me. I liked sleeping with him, and we _were_ married. Eventually, I wanted to move his bed to my room and do something else with his, but that was a discussion for another day.

After getting ready quickly, I made the trek over to his room. Thankfully, the house had warmed up during the day, and it wasn't so cold that I had to run and hide underneath the covers. Edward was still in the bathroom, and I could see his exposed back from my perch on the bed. I remembered the way his sinuous muscles felt underneath my fingertips, and I shivered. Luckily, he was busy at the sink and couldn't see me shamelessly check out his body. My mind wandered, and my thoughts returned to our activities the night before. I had never felt like that before. His hard body shifting underneath mine, the fireworks exploding behind my eyes . . .

"See something you like?" Edward asked with a smirk, pulling me from my fantasies and memories.

I blushed and ducked my head. "Yeah, of course I do," I mumbled.

In a few long strides, Edward crossed the room and climbed into bed next to me. He sat with his legs brushing against mine, and he gently held my hand. "Bella, I . . ." his voice faltered " . . . I have to know what you want and what you are ready for. You know that I want you, all of you, but I know that we need to take this at your pace, not mine. Last night was . . . amazing, but I don't want you to think that, _that_ is what I expect every time."

"Hmm," I murmured, flipping his hand over and running my fingers over his palm. "It's up to me?"

He nodded solemnly and watched each of my movements. His eyes widened as I lifted up onto my knees and threw one of my legs over his, so I was essentially straddling his lap. I placed each of my hands on his cheeks and leaned forward to press his lips to mine.

Edward responded eagerly, his hands gripping my hips and his lips moving with mine. As it usually did, one of my hands slid into his hair. His groan spurred me on, and I plunged my tongue into his mouth. I really had no intention of doing more tonight than making out, but I was determined to make it good. Edward's mouth pulled away from mine, and he kissed down my neck, sucking lightly where my neck and shoulder met. I threw my head back, because the sensation was becoming too much.

Swiftly, Edward pulled me off of his lap and lay me on the bed next to him. We stretched out together, making our bodies meet in as many places as possible, while our lips and tongues moved together. I worked hard to keep my hands anchored above his shoulders, because I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. He said that our physical relationship would run at my pace, and right now, I just wanted to kiss him. A lot.

And that is exactly what we did. Edward took his cues from me and never advanced things too much. My lips were swollen and my breathing heavy when we finally parted.

Edward rested his forehead against mine and placed a sweet kiss on the tip of my nose. "Oh, Bella," he murmured quietly, and those were the first words that we'd spoken in what felt like hours.

I settled into his side and rested my head on his shoulder while he pulled the covers over us. "Do the Spencers usually come to the Halloween party?" I asked softly, sort of fearing the answer.

For the last two years, I had gone, but had spent most of the night helping with the details instead of joining in the fun. Since I wasn't drinking and dancing, there hadn't been much else for me to do.

Edward gave me a curious look and a sad smile. "Yes, they do usually attend. I called Eleazar before I went to Italy and asked that they not come."

My eyes shot open in shock. "Did you tell him why?" I breathed out.

Edward hesitated, and I knew that meant that he hadn't. Part of me was glad, because I didn't want our sordid private lives to be paraded everywhere, but the other part was disgruntled, because I didn't feel like he'd had to pay much for his indiscretions.

Like he knew where my thoughts were going, he held up his hand and took a deep breath. "I told him that given the situation with Darton and that being around Tanya made my wife uncomfortable, it would be better if they made other plans."

"Did he ask you to explain that?" I asked. I was a girl, and that level of detail wasn't going to satisfy my curiosity.

"No, he didn't." Edward sighed. "You've been so reticent about our own family's involvement, I didn't want to spread it around even more. I swear to God, though, Bella, if you want me to, I'll call him now and tell him why."

"That's not necessary," I told him with a sinking feeling of dissatisfaction. I had no idea what I wanted him to have to do to atone for his sins, but there was a part of me that just felt like he hadn't done enough. Edward was showing me in every way he could that he cared about me and that I was important to him. I sighed and settled in for the night. My thoughts were running rampant, and I wasn't sure that sleep would come easily.

"Just tell me what to do, Bella," Edward whispered thickly. "I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you; you know that."

"I know," I whispered back. "I just don't know what that is, Edward. I want to move on, but sometimes my thoughts just run wild. I guess we just have to give it time."

"Whatever you need, Bella. I'll wait as long as it takes. You'll never know how sorry I am that I didn't have enough faith in us before to start here instead of making us both wait and making all the mistakes I did. Please, just talk to me and tell me what you need," he pleaded.

I nodded against his shoulder. "I will. Good night, Edward."

"Good night, love," he whispered, and his arms tightened around me.

There, safe in his arms, I finally drifted off to sleep.

**We're making progress! Thank you so much. No teasers in reviews this week because of Christmas, but there will be one on the forum. Please come visit and bat stuff around. Also, if you have an outtake idea that you would like to see, please let me know ASAP . . . **


	15. Chapter 15: Parties and Promises

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I have conceived and written this story, therefore, it belongs to me. The other parts that are recognizable from other sources belong to their respective owners. Let's keep it that way and not steal from each other, because that is just not awesome. **

**A/N: I have lots to say this week, but mostly I want to say THANK YOU! Twilight0715 helped me a lot on this chapter and so did Riss usc-mam by pre-reading. Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy did awesome betaing jobs and added plenty of commas and took away my unnecessary words. Thanks, ya'll. More below. I let you get to the chapter.**

**Chapter 15: Parties and Promises**

**EPOV**

Waking up Tuesday with Bella still in my arms was the highlight of my day. She was snuggled in to my chest tightly, and I just watched her even breathing fan out over my T-shirt as it moved in time with her chest falls. I knew that I still had a long way to go in earning her trust, but I was hopeful that we were on the right path.

Several minutes later, the alarm went off, and I reached over to shut it off carefully. I didn't want to wake Bella unnecessarily. Slowly, I slipped out of her embrace and donned my running shorts. I needed to spend a few minutes on the treadmill before I dealt with what was sure to be an epic clusterfuck.

An hour, three miles, fifty sit-ups, and some arm work later, I showered hastily and gathered the papers I'd left on Bella's couch the night before. I stopped by the kitchen for some toast and coffee, before planting myself at my desk. By carefully tracing each account, I verified that roughly twenty thousand in cash had been taken from deposits and in cash withdrawals that wasn't otherwise accounted for. This had all occurred within the last six months, and whoever the culprit was, they weren't very astute about hiding it. The payments to McFadden were a little more obscure, but now that I knew what I was looking for, I had traced thirty thousand in payments over the last two years.

True to his word, Eleazar faxed over the contract and submittals for each payment. The initial paperwork had been completed, but the back end records were lacking. There were invoices for asphalt deliveries that were never delivered, mostly because there hadn't been a job in late December to deliver asphalt to. Dad came in mid-morning and went through each account with me, since they were now his responsibility, but with Bella's safety in question, I couldn't leave it alone entirely.

I also had all of my other work to do and didn't bother to stop for lunch. I planned to talk to Bella later about taking Friday off and heading to her parents' house for the weekend, and since I was already behind from the Italy trip, I needed to get as much done as possible.

A knock at the door pulled my thoughts back from work for the first time in hours. "Come in," I called.

"Hey." Bella poked her head in with a small smile. "I brought you a plate. You missed dinner."

"Thanks, baby. I'm sorry I missed it. What did we have?"

Bella showed me a plate with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, and my mouth watered. I hadn't even realized I was hungry.

"Are you going to be here awhile?" Bella asked, pulling me from my food induced stupor.

I smiled at her and took the plate. "Probably. I was thinking about taking Friday off. You know, to go to your parents' house. What do you think?"

Bella nodded thoughtfully. "That would be good. I'll call Mom tonight and see if they mind. I'll warn you, though, the last time I really talked to my dad, I wasn't very happy with you." She grimaced. "I didn't tell him what happened, but he knew something was really wrong."

I sighed. I figured that I would have to deal with this, and I was more than a little surprised she hadn't told her parents what a louse I was. Truthfully, I was nervous and more than a little anxious, but I just gave her a half-hearted smile and shrugged. "I'm sure I'll talk to him about it." There wasn't much I could say to her. I had hurt his little girl, and I was sure he was going to have something to say about it. I also deserved all he could say and more.

She grimaced. "Do you want to stay at the house, or get a room nearby?"

"Why would we stay somewhere else?" I asked, confused.

She shrugged. "Just thought you might like the space."

There was something more behind that, but I had no idea what. "Whatever you prefer, Bella, is fine with me," I assured her.

"I'll go call Mom. See you later?" Her voice sounded slightly hopeful.

"Of course. I'll be up in a little while." She smiled brightly and took her leave.

I made good progress on my backlog as I immersed myself in my work. I didn't plan on focusing on anything this weekend, but Bella and the situation with the Windemeres, and I didn't want _anything_ hanging over my head. When I finally stood, all of my muscles protested from being in one position for so long. Stretching out underneath my covers had never sounded so inviting, especially when I considered that Bella might be there with me.

I trudged upstairs and went straight for Bella's study, hoping that we could talk a bit more before bed. It was, empty, however, and the lights were off. I spun around and looked back to my bed, only to find it empty as well. The clock beside my bed read twelve-thirty, and I immediately groaned. A quick check into Bella's room showed her slender body making a small lump beneath her blankets. My heart sank.

Slowly, I walked back into my room and got ready for bed. The fact that tonight my wife and I weren't sharing a bed again was another symbol of my failures. As a husband and as a man. I was going, for the first time, to my in-laws' home this weekend, and I had no doubt that it was going to be an uncomfortable trip. It was our first trip there as a couple, though we had been married for almost two and half years, and I was sure that I was going to have to explain, at least in part, to Bella's father, why she had run from me. That didn't so much matter to me, as long as I had Bella by my side, but I wasn't sure how long I would get that. Bella said she wanted our marriage to work, but until I had earned her forgiveness, there was no guarantee of that.

And fuck, I had no idea how to earn that forgiveness and rebuild that trust. I knew that she was still hurting, even through the brave face she tried to put on. Every once in a while, her brown eyes would flash, and I would see it brimming just below the surface. Every time, it crushed me. I would give anything to be able to go back in time and change it all, especially if it would spare her a moment's pain.

With a sigh, I fell into bed. Sleep did not come easily, though, and I tossed and turned for most of the night. The alarm went off far too early for my tastes, and I dragged myself down to the gym again. Running helped me clear my thoughts, and I had done a lot more of it than normal lately. Once I was finished, I cleaned up and shut myself in my office for the rest of the day.

I closed up around four o'clock, when Alice informed me that it was time to eat dinner before we got dressed. Bella wasn't at the table, and I realized that she wasn't home yet. A pit of fear opened in my stomach, and I suddenly found that I couldn't eat. I pushed my food around my plate, flicking my eyes to the door every few minutes. The conversation buzzed around me, but I couldn't hear the words. I finally heard the front door close after almost an hour and then Bella's familiar footfall on the hallway floor. The haze left my eyes and ears as I exhaled in relief.

My food, however, was now a huge pile of mush and no longer worth eating. I cleared my plate and gave Bella a smile as I passed. Her own face was open and happy—clearly her day at New Horizons had been good. I didn't want to ruin her happiness with my foul mood, so I resolved to put it behind me and show her a good time tonight.

Two hours later, I was trussed up in an old uniform, with my hair neatly combed and gelled into place. With little imagination, one could really believe that I had walked straight out of World War II. Dad was waiting in the foyer, completely decked out like a genuine hippie. I had to laugh at him; he looked ridiculous. Emmett was shifting in his suit, clearly unhappy about being so dressed up. He was pulling at his collar and straining his neck away from his tie. I was about to make a joke of it, when my attention was diverted by movement on the stairs. Jasper swaggered down the stairs in his pin striped suit, with Alice on his arm. The beaded fringe on her dress swayed with each step. Somehow, she managed to make herself look even more dainty than usual. Mom bounded down around them, her hair straightened and parted straight down the middle. Her dress was almost blinding in its hideousness, and I barely held in my laugh. She and Dad made the perfect pair.

Rosalie and Bella came down together, but I barely registered the presence of my sister. Bella completely took my breath away. Her long brown hair was pulled up elegantly, and her slender figure was displayed in a lovely gray dress that fit her perfectly. I had never seen her look so graceful. Carefully, she stepped over to me, and I held out my arm to her with a smile. Her responding smile lit up her eyes. She had never looked more beautiful to me than in that moment.

"Hey," I whispered, afraid I couldn't speak any louder.

"Hi," she said with a grin.

"You look breathtaking," I told her honestly. That was all I could manage without sounding like a bumbling idiot.

"Thanks. You don't clean up so bad yourself," she teased.

I led her out to the cars we had rented for the night so none of us had to drive if we drank. Carefully, she slid in across the seat of ours, and I followed, sitting as close to her as the seat would allow. Emmett and Rose rode with us, and we made small talk on the drive over.

The Grand Ballroom at the Plaza was artfully made up to both reflect the Halloween theme and the elegance of the party. A dance floor was set up in the middle, and tables with black tablecloths surrounded it on three sides. According to Alice, the fully stocked bar was open and the DJ would be playing a mix of themed songs and traditional dance music. I was looking forward to being able to enjoy the party with Bella this year, instead of just watching from one of the tables.

With her hand in mine, I led her over to our table. A passing waiter asked what we wanted to drink, so I ordered myself a Jack and Coke and got a Cosmopolitan for Bella, since she couldn't get it for herself. Various other couples arrived, and we spent several minutes laughing at the choices.

The county attorney and her husband showed up as bacon and eggs. One of the sitting judges wore a powdered wig and came as a . . . judge. Bella rolled her eyes at his originality and pointed to the Playboy bunny he was trying to chat up while holding onto his hair. The usual witches, black cats, vampires, and zombies were in attendance, as well.

The music was picking up, and I held my hand out to Bella. "Will you dance with me, ma'am?" I asked formally.

Bella smiled demurely and placed her hand in mine. "Why, I'd be honored, soldier," she murmured.

I led her onto the floor. A slower song that I didn't know came on, and I settled my left hand onto her hip, while holding her left with my right. Slowly, we revolved on the floor, eyes only on each other. We didn't really talk much; we just enjoyed the feeling of being together. The next song was faster, so we walked around and talked to people, instead. We were caught in a discussion that we couldn't escape from with some friend of my dad's, when Mom interrupted.

"Bella, you have to come here," Mom said in a rush. "There's someone I want you to meet. She's on the board over at New Horizons."

Bella nodded, and I saw a flicker of nerves cross her face. She smoothed out her dress and took a deep breath. I gave her a reassuring smile and watched as she strolled purposefully across the room behind my mother.

"She's quite a lovely girl," Mr. Howard wheezed next to me, shifting my focus from my wife to the old man I was standing with.

"Yes, she is. I'm very lucky," I acknowledged.

Mr. Howard clapped me on the shoulder and laughed heartily. "Don't you forget it, boy! Women like that don't come along every day. I should know!" He pointed to his fourth wife and smiled. Minutes later, he left to join her, and I stepped to the side of room.

Mr. Howard's comment had hit home, and I pondered just how lucky I actually was. The last month and a half of my life could have gone so differently, and I thanked God every day that Bella had given me another chance. I knew that I didn't deserve it. Somehow, I was going to have to show her how much I cared for her and how much I appreciated it. Standing here watching her chatting pleasantly with my mother and Mrs. Robertson made me so proud of the woman she was becoming. I could see her strength and intelligence in every move, and I wondered if she saw it, too.

Emmett pulled me from my thoughts by shoving a shot into my hand. "Come on, Mr. Broody. It's time to get down to the fun." He dragged me over to Jasper and motioned for me to drink up. Jasper grinned at me and tossed his shot back as I took mine. Emmett clapped his hand on my shoulder and handed me another Jack and Coke.

"You need to loosen up, bro!" Emmett declared. "Seriously, how do you get stuck talking to Mr. Howard every year? The guy's at least seventy."

"And on his fourth wife, apparently," I said dryly.

"Wanna bet how long that will last?" Jasper whispered conspiratorially, pointing to Mrs. Howard rubbing against some guy in a Phantom of the Opera costume.

I chuckled. "He'll be lucky if he takes her home tonight."

"Speaking of lucky," Emmett stated with a raised eyebrow. "What's up with you and Bella?"

I sighed and took a long drink of the whiskey in my hand. "She wants to try to make it work. I've told her everything, and she thinks that we can get past it."

"Everything?" Jasper's eyes widened, and he looked surprised.

I nodded and looked at the drink my hands. "Um, thanks, guys. Thank you for, uh, being so good to her all this time. I, uh, really appreciate it." I was a little ashamed that they had been there for her when I wasn't, but I appreciated it all the same.

Emmett quirked his head. "Well, someone had to be. Just don't hurt her again, dude. Got it?"

I acquiesced, and we started talking about some of the party guests that were wandering around. Jim, one of the guys that had gone to school with Jasper, was dressed up as a baby bottle, and he looked fucking miserable. His date was a baby, and I thought that the imagery was beyond weird. Apparently, the poor bastard did, too, because he went straight for the bar as soon as he could escape. After what appeared to be a short conversation, the bartender handed him an entire bottle of scotch that he tipped straight back.

"Shit, Edward. Windemere's here," Jasper whispered urgently.

Sure enough, Marcus Windemere had just walked in the door, dressed as a lion tamer. His wife was the lion. My eyes shot around for Laurent or James, but I couldn't see them anywhere.

"Where's Bella?" I asked, suddenly a little panicked.

All three of us immediately glanced to the spot she had been in, but she was no longer standing there. I started moving, trying to catch a glimpse of her in the room full of people. Emmett snapped his fingers and pointed toward the long bar lining the front wall. Bella had been hidden from view by all the people on the dance floor. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that she was safe.

Moments later, though, my chest tightened again, the air rushed from my lungs, and I gripped onto the chair in front of me for support. Jasper was next to me and held tightly to my shoulder, his eyes flicking from my face to the scene in front of me.

Bella was talking to some guy dressed as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Her hand lingered on his arm, and her eyes danced as she flirted . . . blatantly flirted with the guy! She leaned in close to his face and whispered something in his ear that made them both laugh.

I saw red, and I wasn't sure who I was more angry with. _Him_ for touching _my_ wife, or _her_ for allowing it to happen and flirting back. I sucked in a breath and stood up, preparing to storm to the bar. Jasper's grip on my shoulder tightened, and Emmett stood in front of me, blocking my view of the traitorous scene by the bar.

"Move, Emmett," I growled, and I lifted my hand to shove him to the side.

He caught it in his big mitts, though, and pushed me down into a chair. "Cool it, man. Just what do you think that you're going to do?" he asked firmly.

"I'm going to go ask that man, _politely_, to remove himself from my wife's presence," I replied, my voice deeper and angrier than I had ever heard it.

"The hell you are," Jasper retorted. "First of all, get a hold on yourself."

"Jasper," I ground out, "he's touching my wife and flirting with her!" A small part of my brain registered that I sounded like a complete tool, but the stress of the last couple of months and the fragile peace we had found were threatened again.

Emmett laughed, but it sounded hollow. "Oh, you mean like Tanya flirted with you? Blatantly. In front of Bella?"

My chest felt like I'd been punched, and all of the air left my lungs again. "It wasn't like that, Em," I whispered.

"It wasn't for you, but that's how it always looked, Edward," he said, trying to reason with me.

"Fuck," I muttered, attempting to control the raging fire in my chest. He was right. I couldn't go all cave man on Bella, when, essentially, I'd done the same thing.

"Now, don't be an asshole. Walk over there and act like the gentleman I know Mom raised you to be," Jasper ordered.

I took a few deep breaths, stood, nodded to them, and strolled as nonchalantly as I could manage across the room.

"Hey there," I greeted Bella with a smile. "I was wondering where you had wandered off to." With as much grace as I could gather, I slipped my arm carefully around her slim waist and kissed her temple.

"Hi, honey," she responded with a smile that said she was clearly happy to see me. "Do you know Tyler Crowley?"

I turned to him and held out my hand. "I don't believe I do. Edward Cullen."

He shook my hand firmly, almost as if he were sizing me up and throwing his hat in the ring. "Tyler Crowley."

"Tyler and I went to school together from, like, kindergarten on," Bella explained to me.

I nodded and gave them both a half-smile.

"We've known each other forever," Tyler reiterated. "Bella, do you remember when Eric let the gerbils out in Mrs. Finley's class?"

"Oh my God. That was so funny!"

She turned to me, and I was pleased to see that she was trying to include me. In fact, I couldn't figure out why I had been so worried in the first place. He was an old friend, nothing more, right?

"Mrs. Finley was standing on her chair, screaming for the custodian, while the gerbils scampered underneath the desks, squeaking!" Bella laughed, and I smiled.

"How old were you?" I asked, now very interested in learning these little details of Bella's past.

"We were in third grade," Tyler chimed in. "I don't even remember why we had them, but I don't think any other class ever got to after that."

Bella laughed again. "No one ever had Mrs. Finley again, either. She retired at the end of the year—said our class was the worst ever."

Tyler laughed, and then turned his attention to me again. "So, how do you know our girl here, Edward?"

_Our girl?_ _I don't think so, Skippy. _I smirked at him. "She's my wife."

Tyler's head whipped between us, and dipped down to look at Bella's left hand. "Wife. Huh. I had no idea you'd gotten married, Bells."

Bella looked a little bewildered at his sudden mood shift. "Yeah, a couple of years ago. I thought everyone knew. Angela said it was the talk of the school for a few weeks."

"Must have missed that." Tyler swallowed the rest of his drink. "Well, it was good to see you, Bella. Edward, nice to meet you." We shook hands, and he walked quickly to the other side of the room.

Bella watched him go with a strange look on her face. "What was that about?" she wondered aloud.

I raised one eyebrow at her. "You didn't tell him you're married?" I kept my tone as light as possible, so she would know that I wasn't really mad at her.

"No, I figured he knew," she answered. "It was a big deal when I left school, according to Ange."

"Hmm, he didn't seem to get the message," I murmured and kissed her temple again.

"Wait, were you jealous?" Bella asked me with narrowed eyes.

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, thinking how best to answer this. I didn't want her to know what an absolute asshole I almost was. "Why would be jealous?" I said evasively.

Her eyes widened. "You totally are!" she cackled.

"I don't know why I would be jealous," I muttered, now slightly disgruntled because she was making fun of me. "Some guy was hitting on you, and you were flirting with him. No reason to be jealous there."

Bella just laughed harder. "Oh . . . my . . . God!" she panted between peals of laughter. "That has to be the funniest thing I've heard all night!"

"I don't see why it's so funny."

"You don't see the irony?" she asked, challenging me to dispute it.

"I didn't say I didn't see it. I just don't like it," I muttered.

Bella laughed again. "Well, you can just get over it. Tyler's an old friend, who by the way, I'd _never_ want, and I've had to watch your old friend hitting on you for years." She patted my arm and hopped off the stool she was half-way sitting on.

My heart sank, because I knew she was right, and so did everyone else. It was one more reminder of how much I had screwed up and how little I deserved Bella and her forgiveness. I dropped my head to my chest and fought back the feelings of utter futility that engulfed me. Bella slipped her hand into mine and gave it a squeeze.

"Hey, come back," she whispered softly. "We're at a party, and we're supposed to be having fun. I'm sorry I brought it up, but" –she paused—"you're going to have to get used to it, I think. I think I've earned the right to torture you from time to time." She winked at me so I knew that she wasn't being too malicious, and I gave her a tentative smile.

"Yes, ma'am, you have," I agreed solemnly. "How was your meeting with Mrs. Robertson?"

That earned me a real smile. "She's really nice and all for expanding the programs however we can. New Horizons is one of her passions. Esme brought up the clothing drive I'm trying to organize, and Mrs. Robertson loved it. I think we're going to try to do it during the first two weeks of December."

"That's great, baby!" I said proudly, as I led her onto the dance floor.

Bella tucked herself into my arms, and we revolved slowly to the music. She continued to tell me all about her conversation, and I listened with rapt attention.

". . . expanding the adult education classes to include typing and—" Bella broke off and stiffened in my arms.

"What is it, baby?" I asked with concern.

"He's here!" she whispered with a hint of tension. "Marcus Windemere is here!"

I rubbed her back and steered her toward where several members of our family, including Rosalie and Emmett, sat. "Yes, he's here with his wife, but we haven't seen James or Laurent."

"But . . . what if they show up?" she asked in a louder voice just as we reached the table.

"Who's showing up?" Rosalie asked almost lazily while sipping some frozen drink.

Emmett leaned over and said, "The elder Windemeres are here."

"Oh," Rosalie said, clearly understanding the situation. "No big deal. He shows up; you and Edward make out in front of him." She shrugged. "Maybe that will get the message through."

I chuckled. Life was so easy in Rosalie's mind sometimes, and honestly, I rather liked her idea. Bella laughed as well and settled into a seat.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink, baby?" I offered. I knew I needed another one.

"Yeah, I'll have what she's drinking," Bella said, pointing to Rose, "and whatever looks good on the buffet. I should probably eat a little something."

Rose told me what she was drinking, and I headed back to the bar. Unfortunately, just as I placed my order, Tyler strode up.

"Hey, man," he said cordially, but seemingly rather embarrassed. "Sorry about earlier. I really didn't know Bella got married."

I chuckled. "That's okay. I can't blame you."

"You're a lucky bastard, you know that?" Tyler continued.

"Yes, Tyler, I am _very_ lucky," I told him sincerely.

He stared at me for a minute, as if he was judging my sincerity, and then he smiled, nodded, shook my hand, and left.

I quickly got our drinks and something for Bella to munch on and returned to our table. Bella stayed close to me for the rest of the night, and we chatted amiably with various people.

Around midnight, Bella yawned and leaned her head on my shoulder. "Tired, baby?" I asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep well last night." She shrugged. "I think I kept waiting for you to come to bed so I could settle down, but you never did."

"Oh, I didn't know you wanted me to," I whispered while running my hand up and down her arm and holding her close to me.

"Mmm," she murmured sleepily, "I did. I sleep better next to you."

My heart soared and I chuckled and placed a gentle kiss on her hair. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded and sat up a little straighter. I noticed that Emmett was looking a little worn as well, and he confirmed that he wanted to go home, too.

Alice was still making sure that everything was running smoothly, but she bid us all farewell, and we headed out into the cold night.

Once we were home, I helped Bella upstairs and went to change. I went over to check and see which room she wanted tonight and found her staring somewhat dazedly at the closet.

"Oh good, you're back," she said quietly. "I can't get this dress off. Can you unzip me?"

I gulped and strode over to her. Carefully, I pulled the zipper down and then slid the silky material off her slender shoulders. With great effort, I forced myself to keep my eyes on her head, even though they wanted to follow the trail of my fingers grazing down her arms. When Bella stepped out of the dress pooled on the floor, I bent slowly and retrieved it. Even though she hadn't seen my earlier boorish behavior, I felt terrible.

I turned my back and hung the dress in her closet, all the while listening carefully to the sounds of Bella removing the rest of her undergarments. I was trying so hard to be a gentleman and let her change in peace, but my hands could only smooth the silky dress so many times to keep busy, when all they really wanted to do was caress her silky skin.

"What are you doing?" Bella chuckled lightly.

"Uh, just trying to, ah, give you your privacy." I stumbled over my words and remained facing away from her.

She sighed and grabbed my hand, tugging me around. Bella stood in front of me in her pajama pants and tank top. Her eyebrows were creased, and the corners of her lips were turned down.

"Is there a specific reason that you don't want to look at me?" she asked, and I could hear the tension in her voice.

I sighed. Once again, I had hurt her feelings without even trying. I reached out and clasped her other hand. "Really, Bella, I was just trying to give you your privacy," I told her earnestly. "I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable by staring at you while you put on your pajamas."

"Oh, Edward, did you ever consider that I wanted you to look?" she asked sadly.

I was stunned speechless. She wanted me to ogle her? I must have resembled a large mouth bass out of water with my gaping. "Bella, I . . . no . . . what?"

Bella shook her head, and her hands dropped from my grip as she turned and moved back to the bed. "Let's just go to bed. It's been a long day."

I followed her to the bed and laid down beside her. "Bella, I don't know what to say. I don't know how far to go, how far is too far. You are the most desirable woman in the world, and I want nothing more than all of you. _All _of you."

"But you always hold back with me," she argued. "Every time, I feel like I'm the one that moves things forward and that you're . . . pushing back."

I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When I opened them again, I stared deeply into her eyes. "Love, I'm trying to let you tell me what you want. I don't want to rush you or push you into something you aren't ready for. Something we aren't ready for."

Bella huffed. "Who are you to decide what I'm ready for? What if I said that I wanted you to fuck me right now? Would you be okay with that?" she challenged.

Flashes ran through my mind, and I allowed myself a moment to imagine what that would feel like. Her beautiful and supple body moving underneath and around mine. Her breasts in my hands and mouth. I felt the groan reverberate through my entire chest cavity. Dear God, I wanted her so badly.

"Is that what you really want, Bella?" My voice was gravelly and tense. "Right here, right now?" I placed my hand on her hip and drew her closer to my body.

She swallowed, and I saw the same flicker of nervousness and indecision in her eyes I'd witnessed on our wedding night. It had haunted me for more than two years. This time, though, I wasn't making a unilateral decision. If she wanted me, I would be hers.

Bella's eyes closed, and she whimpered. A tear rolled down her face. "No, I'm . . . I'm not ready. I'm sorry," she whispered.

I let out the breath I was holding and cradled her against my chest. The sting of rejection pierced me, but this was the reaction I expected. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Bella. I know you aren't ready for that, and it's okay. We'll get there, together, one step at a time."

"But that _is_ what you need, what you want," she argued tearfully.

"I'll survive. I have you," I said simply. I wasn't sure what else to say. I did want her and my body certainly needed the release now, but I wasn't going to push her into a physical relationship that she wasn't ready for.

Bella pulled back slightly and gazed at me through her tear-filled eyes. The pain in them wrenched at my heart. "You've had me for years, and it didn't stop you. What makes now different?" she whispered thickly.

The breath caught in my throat and I cringed inwardly. I'd known this question was coming since the day I confessed my sins. Since that day more than a month and a half ago that Tanya had opened her mouth, I had tried to formulate an answer that didn't sound pat and trite, but I'd always come up empty. In that moment, I decided to speak from the heart. It was all I had left.

"_You_ make now different, Bella," I said softly, running my thumb over her cheek and wiping away the tears. "I was stupid enough to think that I could survive, that _we _could survive, if I kept you at arm's length. I allowed myself to believe that I was being noble by not forcing you into something you weren't ready for—the look you just gave me was the same one I saw on our wedding night. I wanted this marriage, and I betrayed you, made a mockery of my vows to you. I concocted this . . . ill-conceived plan to stay away; I let myself fall into . . . no, I put myself into bad situations. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but seeing how much it hurt you, how much _I _hurt you . . ." I trailed off while I gathered my thoughts and fought through my emotions.

"Seeing what my idiocy did to you . . . Watching your face and your reaction when we were talking in my room . . . seeing you so violently ill from my mistakes . . . I can't do that to you again. I never want to see that look on your face again. I never want you to be so repulsed by me that it makes you physically ill. I saw myself in your eyes, the hurt mirrored back at me, and there was nowhere for me to hide. I got it, and I never want to be that man again."

I took a deep breath, and the words just continued to pour out. "Bella, believe me. I will wait for however long it takes for you to trust me. There is no one else I want and no one else that captures my heart. I've experienced the thought of losing you, and nothing, _no one_, is or will ever be worth that. I will wait for you, love, until there is no shadow of a doubt in your heart or in your mind. You're it for me."

Bella pondered my words, took a few deep breaths, and chewed on her bottom lip. "You told me that the last time anything happened was last Christmas?"

I nodded.

"Why? Why did you stop it then?" she pushed.

"I never really wanted it to begin with. I _didn't_ want _her._ What I did was wrong, and that night, I played the piano for hours, wallowing in the guilt, and I realized what a failure I truly was, how badly I had failed you. I resolved to be a better man for you, someone that would be worthy of you," I told her honestly, staring into her eyes so that she could see the truth.

"You're always so angry when I mention it," she mused, almost to herself.

"Never with you, darling. And I'm sorry if it seems that way. It makes me so angry with myself that I could hurt you so badly. You, the one person I should have treasured above all else. It just drives one more stake through my chest." I paused. "Does it make you feel better to remind me?" I asked openly. If it did, I would find a way to live with the pain and let her torture me until her own hurt diminished.

"No," she whispered. "I want it to, but it never does."

Carefully, tentatively, I reached out and enveloped her in my arms once more. For one millisecond, she lay there stiffly, and then she melted into my embrace. Salt water from her tears soaked through the thin cotton of my T-shirt, and I held her tighter, rocking slowly and offering her whatever comfort she could take.

"I—I want to, to forgive you, and just, just get over it," Bella stuttered out, her throat clogged with tears.

"I want that, too, baby, but we both know that's going to take a long time," I said sadly.

She nodded and sniffled, but cuddled in closer to me. We lay there, together, in the dark and in the silence, neither of us speaking, but both knowing that we were one step closer to where we should have been all along. Eventually, Bella's breathing became more regular, and a soft snore let me know she had fallen asleep. Only then did I let myself take the comfort that her embrace provided and let it lull me to sleep.

**Here you go! I hope that you all liked it and that you all have lots to tell me in reviews and on the forum. Thank you and Merry Christmas to all those that celebrate!**

**The second round of voting will be open through Christmas in the Avant Garde awards. The Arranged Marriage is still in the running for two of those so please vote as soon as you can!**

**I have a rec for you this week. If you want something to read while you escape from the hubbub, check out All That Jazz by javamomma0921. It's set earlier this century and is really period perfect. And if you like UST, it has it in spades. **


	16. Chapter 16: A Trip Home

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I own this story, not Stephenie Meyer's characters. I'm just playing with them because it's fun. **

**A/N: A lot of you have expressed concern about Bella not letting Edward's mistakes go and continuing to bring it up. She's had less than two months to come to terms with the fact that her husband cheated on her and purposely stayed away from her for two years. That's a lot to deal with. And frankly, she's a girl. No matter how much she wants to move on, this is a big deal to her and it hurts her a lot. Expecting her to just hear it and get over it really isn't realistic. It takes a LONG time to get over it, if ever. And if she doesn't express it and just represses it, it will only take longer. Communication is a good thing. **

**Thank you to Riss usc-mam, swimom7 and twilight0715 for helping out with this chapter and big thanks to Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing and making this beast readable. You ladies rock my world!**

**Chapter 16: A Trip Home**

**BPOV**

It was early when I woke Thursday morning, and Edward was still fast asleep next to me. I blinked several times to clear the sleep from my eyes and took advantage of this rare moment just look at him. Ever since I had known him, Edward always seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Lately, though, the strain had been so much worse, and I knew that the troubles in our marriage and the situation with the Windemeres were at fault. Like this, fast asleep, he looked peaceful and so much younger.

I thought back to his expression last night when I had foolishly asked him if he would fuck me. If there had ever been a doubt in my mind that my husband wanted to fuck me into oblivion, it was eradicated with that one look. It was so raw and hungry, and even now, made my thighs clench together, seeking friction and relief.

But _her_ face had flashed across my mind as he gave in before I could will it away, and I knew that our coupling wouldn't be about us. I knew that I wasn't ready to give myself to him in that way.

He had been so kind and understanding. He'd told me exactly what I'd needed to hear, even though I really hadn't known what that was. His voice, his words, they were all so sincere that I had no doubt he meant _every_ one.

I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't seen or felt Edward's arm slither around my waist, until he pulled me tightly to him.

"Morning," he said, his voice husky and full of sleep. It was even more alluring than normal. "What time is it?"

I snuck a look at the alarm clock and gasped. "Oh! It's twenty after eight." Edward usually started work around seven in the morning, and he had a lot to do before we went out of town. He was going to have to rush away now. My heart sank.

Edward groaned. "I don't think I've ever been so glad to work downstairs then." He tightened his hold on me and closed his eyes again. "What are you thinking about so intently this morning?"

I tried to shrug, but he had me wrapped too close to him for me to move properly. "Last night," I mumbled, embarrassed again at my behavior. "Don't you have to get to work?"

Edward held his breath for a moment, but allowed me to change the subject. "I will in a few minutes, but it's not like my boss is going to be mad that I'm late. I'm much more interested in being right here right now."

I grinned and buried my face in his chest.

"When are your parents expecting us?" he asked after a few moments.

"I didn't give them a time," I told him, shifting back and propping myself up to look at him. "When do you want to go?"

He shrugged. "That's up to you. You seem a little nervous about this trip, so would you rather go up tonight, when we can go to bed shortly after we get there, or would you rather stay here tonight and get there mid-day tomorrow?"

I pondered his question. "I think it would be better to go up tonight. If you don't mind driving so late, that is."

"Whatever makes you happy," he replied with a smile. "Can you be ready to leave around five?"

I nodded. "Can you?"

"I think so. I'd better get moving, though." He frowned. "Are you okay this morning?"

I hesitated. I didn't really want to tell him how I felt about our conversation last night, but I knew I needed to. "Yeah, just embarrassed, I think. I'm really sorry I acted that way."

"There's no need to be either, Bella. I like that you're telling me what you think and how you feel." He leaned up and kissed me sweetly. "I'm going to get to work, so we can leave."

I kissed him back and watched him get up and walk back over to his room. The separate spaces were starting to frustrate me, but I wasn't quite ready to join them yet. I hated being in this limbo.

Esme and I went to the hospital at ten, and as usual, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. My suitcase was already packed, so after we got home, I spent the rest of the day hanging out with Alice. I hadn't spent a lot of time with her since my birthday, too wrapped up in my own life to pay attention to hers. She confessed that she and Jasper were talking about starting a family, but that she wasn't completely sure that she was ready to be a mother. We talked about her aspirations, in terms of family and career, and she said that she wanted to do something with her designing skills, other than volunteering, at some point.

She asked how things were going between Edward and me, and I told her that we were working on things together. They weren't perfect, but we wanted to try. Alice avoided asking any more probing questions, and I was thankful for that. I wasn't quite ready for her brand of girl talk. Her bluntness and propensity to talk about sex weren't what I needed.

Promptly at five, Edward met me upstairs, and we walked together to his car. He pulled through Arby's drive-thru for dinner, and we ate while we drove. The traffic was heavier than normal, due to road construction, but we kept the time full with light conversation. As if sensing that I was still a little raw regarding last night's . . . discussion, Edward had asked instead about how my afternoon at New Horizons had been the day before.

"I think it was eye-opening for a lot of them. I brought a list of prices for common things, including apartments. Most of them didn't realize how hard their parents had to work just to provide the basics." I paused, not entirely sure how to bring this up, so I continued cautiously. "It also got me thinking. How do we pay for things? I mean, I know I have a credit card to use as I need to, but how do the bills get paid? What about rent and stuff like that?"

Edward laughed lightly. "Are you asking about our finances now?"

I shrugged and blushed, choosing to stare at the floor instead of him. Edward's hand ran lightly down my arm and grasped my left hand.

"It's okay, Bella. I don't mind. You _should_ know this."

I looked up into his open face and gave him a slight smile.

He continued once he was sure he had my attention. "I had you added to all of my accounts after we got married. The card you have is tied to one of those. The house has been in the family for generations, so there isn't a mortgage on it, meaning that we don't actually pay rent. We do, however, contribute to the household expenses."

"But where does it come from?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I recognized how stupid it sounded, but it was too late to put it back in.

Edward laughed. "I don't work for _free_, Bella."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I figured that out. But you support the two of us?" I asked carefully, worried that he would get defensive.

He didn't. "For now. Honestly, Bella, I make more than enough so that you don't have to work if you don't want to, but I'll support your decision if you want to work. You also have your own money to do with as you please, from your parents."

"Like a dowry?" This was the first I'd heard of this, and once more, I internally lamented not having asked more questions when we got married.

"Not exactly. You had a trust fund. Since you were too young to access it, your parents had me administrate it in case you needed anything," he replied. He looked rather wary, as if he was concerned I would be upset.

I was too shocked to be upset, though.

Another thought occurred to me, and I wondered if my trust fund had already been used. "What about my car payment?" I asked, so it sounded less hostile.

"You don't have a car payment, Bella."

"Did my trust fund buy me a car?" I retorted.

Edward sighed. "No, Bella. I bought you a car. I invested your trust fund; I didn't spend it."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. We sat there in silence for a few minutes while I gathered my thoughts and my courage. "Will you show me the statements to our accounts and my trust fund when we get home?" I asked finally.

Edward smiled at me. "Of course. Whenever you want. It's all in my office."

"Thanks for taking care of all that," I offered.

"You're welcome, but I really don't mind. Um, what should I expect when we get there?" he asked nervously.

I giggled. It always amused me to see Edward nervous, because I was so used to seeing him cool and confident. "Uh, well, Mom and Dad will be there. Maria cleans and cooks; you don't want to eat Mom's cooking."

"Yes, I remember," he cut in with a grin. "But that's not what I'm really asking."

I laughed. "I know. I don't know what they'll say, though. When I was here, they were loving, but told me I needed to come home to you. It wasn't the comfort I expected."

"If you wanted their comfort and to stay here, why didn't you tell them?" he asked. There was no accusation, only curiosity.

I sighed. "I suppose I always knew that I would come home and hear what you had to say. If it wasn't as bad as I thought it was, I didn't want them to hate you forever. Maybe if I had told them, they wouldn't have pushed me back to you and been more . . . I don't know, consoling?

Edward swallowed heavily and stared into the darkness at the interstate in front of the car. He didn't look at me as he whispered, "I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm sorry I put you in that position and that you felt that you had no one to lean on."

I didn't know what to say to that. I wanted to reassure him, to tell him that it was all right, but it hadn't been, and I had felt isolated. The only one that knew it all was Angela, and she wasn't around to hold my hand through everything. I did the only thing I could think of; I reached over, laced my fingers with his, and squeezed gently, giving him a small smile.

He returned the gesture and took a couple of deep breaths. I could tell that he was upset and nervous, all at once. Perhaps it would have been better for us to have stayed in a hotel.

Before I knew it, though, we were driving down my street, at my direction, and into my parents' driveway. Stiffly, Edward unfurled himself from the driver's seat, and then retrieved the bags from the trunk. I waited for him, and together, we walked up to the front door.

My mother must have been watching for us, because she flung the door open as soon as we stepped foot on the porch.

"Bella!" she cried, and threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. "Oh baby, I'm so glad you're here." She leaned back and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the house.

I turned around and motioned with my free hand for Edward to follow me.

Mom seemed to realize that we weren't alone when Edward shut the door behind him, and she gave him a polite smile. "Edward, it's good to see you again. Welcome to our home." Just as I'd feared, she didn't seem very happy to have him here. Like Alice, Mom was a very affectionate person and usually hugged him when she saw him. She didn't even move toward him in greeting.

"Thank you for having us, Renée. I hope we aren't imposing," he returned, just as politely.

"Of course not." This time, she gave him a warm smile. "Bella, your dad should be home in just a minute. I forgot to get the eggs for breakfast."

"Okay. Um, why don't I take Edward on upstairs to put our bags down, and then we can give him the official tour?" I suggested.

Mom gave me a surprised look. "Are you planning to stay in your old room? Together?"

I nodded, rolled my eyes, picked up my bag, and took Edward's hand. Another mention of my flight back to my parents would not be conducive to a good night. Edward took his cue from me and lifted his own bag. As we walked, I pointed out the rooms we passed and kept up a running commentary for Edward's sake. I could feel the tension radiating off of him.

When we got to my room, I opened the door slowly, suddenly overcome with my own bout of nerves. This room was me—who I had been before my marriage—and I wasn't sure what Edward would think. He stepped in and blinked as he looked around.

"So, uh, this is my room," I said needlessly.

"It's very . . . you," he said, sounding surprised. "I didn't expect that."

I raised my eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He spun on his heel and faced me, surprised at my tone. Edward dropped his bag and grabbed one of my hands in both of his. "Just that there's still so much of you here," he said soothingly. "You said it wasn't like home any more, and I thought that maybe they had made your room into a yoga studio or something." He looked thoughtful for a second. "Also, there's so much of you in your rooms at home that I'm surprised you left so much here." He sounded a little sad, too.

I shrugged. "I brought the things that we really important to me. The rest of this is . . . my childhood, I guess." I glanced around and registered pictures, books, and awards decorating the space.

"Will you show me?" he asked.

I gave him a smile and nodded. He smiled back and stepped closer, reaching out to brush a wayward strand of hair away from my face. I could still feel his nervousness and tension, but it had lessened somewhat. Slowly, he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. I sighed in relief and pressed a little harder against his mouth.

"Are you guys ready?" Mom asked, and she was much closer than she should have been. In fact, she sounded a little bitchy. Too late, I realized that we hadn't closed the door, and we'd just been caught kissing by my mother. The rational part of my brain told me that Edward and I were married and were expected to kiss every now and then, but the other part of my brain made me blush and look at my feet.

"Sure, Mom. Lead the way," I replied as brightly as I could. I shot a look at Edward, and he was as red as I was embarrassed.

Despite the late hour, Mom showed Edward every single room in the house. Dad wasn't home yet, and it seemed like she was stalling. Why, I wasn't sure, but the whole experience was uncomfortable. Edward did his best to be complimentary and gracious, though. Finally, we heard the front door open.

"Renée? Bella? Edward?" Dad called from the foyer.

A real smile graced my mother's face for the first time all night. "We'll be right up." She pushed past us and started up the basement stairs.

As soon as her foot hit the first step, Edward let out a deep breath. He gave me a small smile that looked more like a grimace and squeezed my hand tightly. We followed her upstairs and saw Dad standing by the front door, with several grocery bags around his feet.

I laughed. "I thought you went for eggs, Dad."

He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I might have gotten a few other things. Come here, Bella, and give your old man a hug."

I smiled at him and walked quickly into his embrace. He lingered a little longer than normal, and when he pulled back, he appraised me. "You're looking better, kid."

"Thanks, Dad," I said with a chuckle, and rolled my eyes.

"Edward," Dad called. "It's good to see you." Dad held out his hand, and Edward stepped forward to shake it with a smile. "You kids must be exhausted. You're still here for the whole weekend, right?"

When we assented, he suggested that we all go get some sleep so we could have fun together the next night. Mom appeared to be a little disappointed, but Edward chose that moment to yawn widely.

"I think that's a great idea," I agreed. "See you all at breakfast?" I gave them each a quick hug goodnight, and Edward followed me up to my room. I could feel my mother's eyes on us all the way up.

My old bed wasn't as cushy as Edward's, but my night's sleep was restful anyway. When I woke at almost nine, Edward was still wrapped around me, and I was cocooned in his warmth. It felt a little strange to be sleeping with a man in my parents' house, like I was breaking the rules or something. I giggled a little to myself. My body betrayed me as it vibrated, and Edward moaned and pulled me closer. He shifted his hips into my ass, and I could feel him hard against me.

His breathing picked up, and he whispered my name breathily. I turned my head to kiss him, only to find that his eyes were still closed. My name fell from his lips again, and it made me giggle. He was dry humping me in his sleep. I must have been loud enough for him to really hear me this time, because he stilled and his brow furrowed. I whispered his name, and his eyes flittered open.

"Bella?" he asked sleepily.

"Are you awake this time?" I asked, amused.

"Depends. Are you naked?" he replied with a smirk.

"Uh, no."

He sighed dramatically. "Then, yeah, I'm awake. What's on the agenda for the day?"

"Breakfast first, then I guess we'll see. Are you okay? Last night was . . ."

"I'll be fine," he reassured me. "Let's get you fed, love."

We dressed quickly and walked hand in hand down to the kitchen. There was a slight tang of burned bacon in the air, and I sighed in response. Leave it to my mother to attempt to fix us breakfast on our first trip here. I cast a quick glance over at Edward and grimaced.

"If it's too bad, I'll take you out for muffins and coffee," he whispered conspiratorially.

I grinned back, and he squeezed my hand and winked. Mom handed each of us a plate and told us to go to the table. Dad was already sitting there, drinking his coffee and hiding a smirk. The plates each contained some burned bacon, dark toast, and rubbery eggs. There was no way we were eating this. Now, I just had to figure out how to get us out of here for some actual nutrition.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Mom asked brightly when she came to the table.

Edward glanced down at his plate, snuck a peek at me, and said, "I was hoping that Bella could show me around her hometown a bit." And just like that, he had cleared us for some real food. I couldn't have been more grateful and proud of his skill.

"That's a great idea, Edward!" Mom gushed, a little overenthusiastically. Off she went on a tangent, mentioning every place that we could go.

I managed to choke down a piece of bacon and mush the rest of my food up. When we were finally able to escape, we both threw our food in the kitchen trash and hurried upstairs to get our things to go out to breakfast.

I showed Edward my grade school and high school, and the park where my dad took me as a kid to play on the swings. We ate breakfast at the little bakery I used to stop by on Saturday mornings, and we talked a lot. Edward asked me questions about significant memories, and I told him all the stories I could think of. When we got home, Edward dragged me back upstairs and asked me about the pictures still on my wall and about my well worn books. It wasn't the first time he had really listened to me, but I felt like he was trying to get to know all of me. Not just the "me" I was now, but the girl I had been. And it made me feel cherished.

Thankfully, Maria cooked dinner. Edward seemed a little antsy, and over apple pie, I found out why.

"Charlie, what can you tell me about Bella's land?" Edward asked, while chopping his crust into tiny pieces.

Dad raised his eyebrow and gave Edward a piercing look. "Bella's land? Why do you want to know?" He sounded slightly defensive, and I sat there, hoping this didn't turn into an argument over a miscommunication.

"Someone is showing some interest, and we were wondering why," Edward answered evasively.

I groaned, knowing exactly where this was going.

Dad's mouth straightened into a hard line. "I didn't marry her off to you at fifteen years old for you to sell it for a good offer." Once again, my father was making me feel like _I_ was the property.

Edward must have seen me stiffen, because he rubbed his thumb soothingly over the back of my hand. He dropped his fork and sighed. "That's not what I mean, Charlie. It's . . . it's _nothing_ like that."

"Then what is it like?" Dad retorted, clearly aggravated.

Edward turned to me and searched my face for answers. I didn't want him to go into all of our problems with my parents, and I silently pleaded with him to keep that to himself. He gave me a sad smile and turned back to my dad.

"James Windemere is really interested in the property. So far, he has been subtle, but I don't think it's going to stay that way," he stated.

"What exactly does that mean, Edward?" Dad's voice had lost the angry edge.

"I'm worried for Bella's safety," he admitted quietly.

Mom gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"I want to know why he wants it so badly that he would stalk her."

"He's stalking her?" Dad stood swiftly, and I could see fear and anger paint his face.

"When I was here and went out with Angela, he had someone take pictures of me at the club. It's probably nothing," I said, trying to diffuse the situation.

Dad's eyes snapped to me. "Where the Windemeres are concerned, Bella, it's not nothing. I don't like it!"

"I don't, either," Edward cut in. "That's why I'm asking what's so special about it. Windemere has enough money that he could buy a half a million acres if that was what he was after. Why _this_ land?"

Dad sat heavily into his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. "There are a couple of oil wells, but they've never produced much. There are some Rare Earth Elements that a company out of Texas wanted permission to mine about five years ago. I refused because the process was too invasive and would ruin the land."

"That's it?" I asked. "Could he just want it for development?"

"The labs," Mom whispered.

"What?" Dad asked.

"The labs, Charlie." She turned to Edward and me. "A few years ago, we invested in some research into algae. One of the labs has been doing research with algae and energy production, and the other has been using algae as a source for oil. There have been a couple of attempted break-ins over the last couple of years, but we've kept security pretty tight," she explained.

Dad shook his head. "But owning the land wouldn't give them the labs, Renée."

"No, but it's a little too coincidental. James has been trying to cause problems since our wedding. If that's what he's after, he'll find a way. It could be all of the above, too." Edward let out a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair.

"Since the labs are on the property and producing oil, could they conceivably be tied to the mineral rights?" I asked.

Dad nodded. "Conceivably, yes." He looked thoughtful, and then turned to Edward. "What are you doing about this?"

"Other than making sure that Bella is safe, I don't know that there is much I can do. As I said, he's been subtle, and it would take a lot to prove who the threat is," Edward replied. "That's why I wanted to know possible causes for his interest."

"Hmm." Dad tapped his fingers on his chin. "I'll see what I can find out from here. But you, young lady, need to watch out for yourself. These people aren't to be trifled with."

I huffed and rolled my eyes, but I smiled to let him know I wasn't really upset. Instead of listening to more supposition though, I stood and started clearing the table. Mom was startled when I pushed my chair back, and hurried to help me clean up the dishes.

"So, what do you want to do for the rest of the night? Shall we play some cards?" Mom seemed eager to spend some time with us, and I couldn't blame her. This was the first time since my wedding that we really had an opportunity to spend time together without lots of other people around. I didn't count the time I'd come home without Edward, as I hadn't been good company then.

"That sounds good, Mom. Let me check with Edward." I gave her a hug, because she seemed to need one, and she clutched me to her as if I was going to disappear on her.

After a couple of minutes, she leaned back so she could see my face, but she still held tight to my arms. "You look better—happier. Did you all resolve whatever problem brought you here last time?" She seemed a little worried about me.

I gave her a small smile. "We're working through it, Mom. It's not fixed by any stretch, but we're getting there."

She gave a small sigh of relief and gave me a tentative smile. "Good. I just . . . I'm sorry that I didn't take more time to listen to you when you were here. I just told you to go back without any idea of what the problem was, and it could have been something really serious. I mean, what if he was beating you and I just sent you back to him without another thought? I thought you were being a typical teenager and just running home when things got rough, but after you left, I realized that you had never been a normal teenager, and that you weren't prone to overreaction . . . and that maybe you were in real trouble, and I didn't take the time to find out."

I cut her off while she was taking a deep breath to go on. "It's fine, Mom. I didn't tell you what was going on, and I had no intention of doing so. Maybe your advice would have been different, but I did need to go home and talk to him."

"Are you sure? You know you can come here any time, right? With or without him?" she entreated. "We miss you around here, baby."

"I know that, Mom, and I miss you all, too." I gave her another hug, and pulled back to pack away the leftovers. I could hear the murmur of voices in the other room, and I knew that Dad and Edward were still talking.

After Mom and I finishing cleaning up dinner, I went in and stole Edward away from my dad to discuss our evening plans. He appeared less than enthused about playing cards all night, but he put on a good front so that I could spend some time with my parents.

Late that night, we finally wound up the marathon game of Tripolee and said our good nights. Side by side, Edward and I got ready for bed in my bathroom. While he was finishing up in there, I went back into the bedroom, peeled off my shirt and unhooked my bra.

Right behind me, Edward sucked in a deep breath. Instinctively, my arms flew to my chest to cover myself with the tank top in my hand, but his hands blocked them.

"Oh, no you don't," he whispered huskily, his breath washing over my ear. His head was right over my right shoulder, and his gaze was fixated on my exposed flesh. Slowly and deliberately, his hands retreated back to my upper arms. Gently, he held me there while his nose nuzzled my ear.

"You are so beautiful, do you know that?" he murmured. "Every inch of your skin is so smooth." His hands twitched as if he wanted to reach out and touch my breasts, but he refrained.

My face flushed, partly in embarrassment and partly in desire. Here, in his arms, I did feel beautiful.

"Everything about you draws me in," Edward whispered. "Your mind, your wit, your loving nature, they all make you who you are and I lo—think that woman is wonderful."

My mind instantly jumped ahead at the word he stuttered and didn't finish. Could he have been about to say that he _loved_ me? I spun in his arms and looked at his face. His eyes were wide and swimming with emotions. I could see the fear and caution. With those, were tenderness and . . . hope? I wasn't sure if I should respond to what he did actually leave unsaid, so I raised up on my toes instead and pressed my lips to his.

Ever so slightly, his lips lifted up into a small smile, and he gathered me into his arms. The feeling of his hands against my naked back made me shiver, and I sucked in a deep breath. Goosebumps covered my skin as his tongue slid across my bottom lip. I met his tongue with my own and weaved my fingers through his hair. Edward's soft gray sweater rubbed against my bare nipples and ratcheted up my excitement.

A deep moan rumbled through Edward's chest as he held me to him. Therefore, I was a little surprised and disappointed when his very passionate kiss cooled into sweet and gentle pecks. After one final brush of his lips against mine, Edward folded me into his chest and held me. His chest rose and fell while he took deep breaths, and I fought against the rising tide of negative emotion.

Impulsively, I tried to pull his face back to mine.

Edward chuckled, gave me a wry smile, and shook his head.

"Why?" I whispered, able to hear the anguish leaking into my voice. I slumped in defeat and tried to extract myself from his grip, but he held firm.

"Oh, angel," he said softly. "Don't. I didn't want to stop, but you are greatly overestimating my self-control if you think I can keep resisting you while you rub against me half naked." A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Why don't we get our pajamas on and continue this conversation?"

I sighed, knowing that he was right. He released me, and I picked up my tank top from where I had dropped it. The bathroom door clicked shut, and I hastened to get my clothes on. Within just a few moments, we were both underneath the thick covers and laying on our sides.

"Edward," I whispered, unsure if I wanted an answer to the question I was about to pose, but every time he pulled away, it ate at my mind like a cancer. "Do you miss her?"

"Who?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

I blew out a rough breath. "Tanya, Edward. Are you staying away from her just for me? Do you miss her? Do you still want her around?"

The line between his eyebrows deepened, and he stayed quiet for several moments. I huffed and moved to turn away, but he caught my arm and held up a finger, asking me to wait. When he finally answered, his voice was sure. "I'm staying away from her for _us_, because it's the right thing to do and what needs to be done. I miss the friend she used to be, but she's not that person any more. I don't know why she's changed, but a true friend would never have disrespected you like she did or allowed me to do the same. So, no, I don't want her around. I want you. And if I ever have to make the choice, I'll choose you every time, Bella."

I huffed. "But you didn't. You chose her first."

Edward frowned and looked down at his hands. "And you have no idea how sorry I am for that, Bella," he said roughly. "I'm sorry it happened; I'm sorry I hurt you; I'm sorry that I didn't pull my head out of my ass and just talk to you."

"Me, too. I feel like we lost so much that we can never get back. Time, trust, innocence . . ." I lamented.

"Innocence?"

I gave him a tight smile. "The girl that lived in this room had romantic dreams about the rest of her life. I don't have those any more. What I got was to be traded around like a commodity, put on a shelf and only taken down when you were ready to play with your new toy. I mean, I know my dad loves me, but every time that damn land is mentioned, I feel like he equates that to me. He gave me away, Edward. And you took me from him and did nothing with me for two years. How is that any girl's dream?"

"Oh, Bella," he whispered. His voice was tight, and moisture filled his eyes. In a flash, he was out of bed, pacing the room and tugging at his hair.

"Fucking hell," he muttered under his breath, and I was sure he didn't mean for me to hear it. When he spoke again, his own anguish colored his tone and posture. "I can't do anything right by you, can I? You aren't a shiny new toy for me, and you never have been. You—not the land, not Tanya, not my work—_you_, are the most important thing in the world to me. I know that it seems absolutely absurd to think that I was afraid of you—hell, it's absurd to me—but I was. You unravel every bit of my control. You dominate every thought in my head. _You_, just a tiny slip of a girl, brought down with a smile every wall I'd built around myself. I didn't know how to deal with that. I wanted you. _God, _how I want you _still, _and I didn't know what to do with that. And in the process of trying to figure out what the fuck to do with that, I hurt you and made you feel unwanted."

He resumed his pacing, and it brought him next to my side of the bed, where he fell to his knees. "Bella, please. I'm so sorry I made you feel that way, that I treated you like a porcelain doll. You are so much more than that. You are a vibrant, beautiful, intelligent woman." His voice had dropped almost to a whisper, and his tone was pleading. "Tell me, Bella, please. Tell me how to fix it. I don't want to be all the King's horses and men."

I chuckled through my tears at his reference. "I don't know. I don't know how to make this feeling go away. Sometimes I'm fine, then something happens, and it all comes rushing back."

He tenderly brushed a wayward strand of hair behind my ears. "Maybe . . . maybe we could talk to someone? Do you think that would help?" he asked softly. His countenance was open, willing.

I nodded slightly. "Maybe that would help." I tugged on his hand and motioned to the bed, indicating that I wanted him to get back in with me. When he was settled, our bodies barely touching, I continued. "It doesn't help that I don't know where the line is, what I can handle, what's too far for you. I need that part of you, too, to know that you are here, with me."

Edward kissed me softly and ran his hand over my hair. "You can have as much of me as you want, Bella. You already have it all. I'm yours. I just don't want to push you. You said that you weren't ready, and I don't know how far you are willing to go."

"Let's find out together?" I whispered.

He smiled his crooked smile at me. "Of course." He stopped my hand as I reached for him and grimaced. "Now? With your _dad_ down the hall?"

I gaped at him, unable to believe that he was turning me down again. Before my anger could fully manifest, he twined our fingers and gave me an earnest look.

"It's not that I don't want you, baby. It's just . . . he keeps a gun hidden in almost every room." He looked rather sheepish as he admitted this.

"Wait, what? How do you know about that?" I asked, my interest piqued.

Edward looked down at our hands. "He told me while you were in the kitchen with your mom."

I sighed. "What else did he say?"

"That if I ever hurt his little girl again, he wouldn't hesitate to find one of them and use it on me. I don't blame him, Bella. He loves you very much," he assured me.

"But what if you didn't hurt me?" I asked coyly.

Edward's gaze returned to my face, and one eyebrow rose in question. "Just what are you suggesting, baby?"

"Touch me," I whispered, expressing a boldness I didn't know I possessed. I pulled myself closer to him, using our entwined hands, and placed a soft kiss on his neck.

Edward groaned, and his head fell back. When he straightened up and looked at me, the fire in his eyes lit my whole body alight. I could feel the embers deep down, just waiting for the spark to ignite them into an inferno.

His lips crashed into mine, and immediately, his tongue sought out mine. I gave into his passion, and it wasn't long before we were right back to where we were earlier. This time, though, he didn't pull away. His hands were no longer in mine. They had snaked underneath my tank top. I could feel them warm against my skin.

Our lips disconnected, but Edward's ran down my jaw and neck, peppering kisses along the way. I leaned against the pillows, reveling in the feelings his mouth elicited in me.

"Sit up," Edward whispered, lifting me with the hand on my back. I gave him a funny look, before I realized that my tank top was bunched in his other hand and he was trying to take it off. As soon as it was off, Edward's mouth found mine again, and his right hand caressed my breast. I moaned into his mouth, and he pressed his body firmly into mine.

Slowly, he kissed back down my neck and across my collarbone. My hands wove into his hair, and I tugged slightly. Edward moaned quietly, and then I felt his closed lips press to my nipple.

"Is this okay?" he whispered huskily, looking up at me with hooded eyes.

I whimpered and nodded as he sucked it gently into his mouth. Carefully, he nibbled and suckled each breast while his hand covered the other. My whole body was vibrating with need. I didn't notice that his other hand had skimmed over my stomach and hips, until I felt the gentle pressure on my inner thigh.

Once again, he looked up at me, silently asking for permission to continue. I pulled him up to me and tangled my tongue with his immediately. His hands continued to ghost over my thighs, never reaching where I wanted and needed him.

"Please," I begged, and I was rewarded with a genuine smile.

"As you wish, baby," he murmured. His hand crept upward and cupped me through my pants. My back arched off the bed at the contact, and I ground myself shamelessly into his hand.

"Please," I whimpered again. I wasn't entirely sure what I was begging for, but I wanted more.

"Are you sure?" he asked, kissing me lightly as he waited for me to decide.

There was no decision to be made.

In reply, I held his face and gazed into his eyes, taking his desire as my own. I kissed him with everything I had, with everything I was feeling in that moment. The pressure of his hand decreased slightly, and I briefly wondered how he could have misconstrued my want. Then, I felt his fingertips gliding across the waistband of my pajamas.

After a moment of running his fingertips from one hip to the other, Edward's hand slipped underneath the elastic. He watched me carefully as he caressed the skin. It wasn't enough, though, and I thrust my hips impatiently. He chuckled slightly and ran his fingers over the satin panties I was wearing. My skin was so sensitive to his touch, and I moaned in appreciation.

Slowly, he shifted my panties to the side, and his fingers met my tender flesh. My moan was drowned out by Edward's soft groan.

"Fuck, baby, you are so wet!"

His long fingers travelled up and down my slit, setting every nerve ending on fire. It felt so much better than the fumbling I'd engaged in, and I swore that I never wanted to go back to that, having experienced this. One of his fingers flicked against my clit, and I cried out, pushing my hips into his hand again.

"Does this feel good, baby?" Edward whispered against my ear, just before he planted kisses underneath it.

I shivered at the rawness of his voice. "Yes, so good," I said breathlessly. "More, _please_."

He hummed lowly, and I felt the tip of one of his fingers tease my entrance. He looked into my eyes once more, but there was no way I was going to stop him now. He kissed me passionately as he slowly slipped his finger inside me. Gently, he pumped his finger in and out of me, while rubbing small circles over my clit. The pressure inside was building stronger each second, and I refused to let Edward's mouth leave mine. To be fair, he didn't really seem like he wanted to and was returning my ardor fervently.

Just when I thought that it couldn't get any better, Edward slipped a second finger in on his next thrust and wiggled his fingers. My orgasm broke suddenly and crashed over me. I heard a noise in room, and it took me a second to realize that it was a symphony of quiet groans and cries, a mixture of my own pleasure and Edward's.

Once I was spent and boneless, Edward tenderly resituated my clothes, pulled me into his arms, and buried his nose in my hair. He placed soft kisses on my head and whispered how beautiful I was and how much I meant to him.

Feeling blissful, I kissed his chest and fell fast asleep.

**Thank you to everyone for reading this story and for continuing to tell me your thoughts. We are getting to the climax, in more ways than one, so hang in there. Please review and come visit on the forum. I plan to post the costume pics on my profile and the forum sometime this week. The holidays and redoing my kitchen floor have just taken precedence. **

**On another note, TAM has been nominated for a Twinkling's Walk of Fame award. The link is on the blog or PM me and I'll send it to you!**


	17. Chapter 17: Realizations

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Any and all recognizable features belong to their respective owners, including that which belongs to me. No one steal anything, okay? **

**A/N: I have a lot of people to thank for help in this chapter, namely my betas, Jenny Cullen and bonny Sammy, who made it a lot better. I also have to thank all those that helped me through it, encouraged me, and gave me ideas when I got stuck. I also want to thank everyone that has been supportive of me this week. **

**There will be more at the bottom, so I won't bore you more!**

**Chapter 17: Realizations**

**BPOV**

Our late night activities must have worn me out more than I'd thought, because the sun was midway in the sky when I finally stretched and opened my eyes. I was alone in my bed. Instantly bereft, my heart sank as I took in how cold the other side of the bed was.

Before I could get lost in my own thoughts and fears, my bedroom door creaked open, and Edward appeared with two steaming mugs in his hand.

"Good morning," he said pleasantly.

I regarded him for a moment. His demeanor was a little off, and I feared that he was regretting last night. "Good morning," I finally answered, sitting up, and patted the bed next to me. "Is everything okay?"

He gave me a tight smile and handed me one of the coffee mugs. "Everything is great."

"Where were you?" I whispered into my mug.

Edward threw his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to his side. "Your mom knocked on the door about an hour ago to call us for breakfast. You were dead to the world, so I left you sleeping," he explained.

"Oh God. You should have woken me up," I told him. Now I understood his stiffness.

"Yeah, that probably would have made breakfast less awkward." He laughed. "It was fine. Your mom didn't cook this morning, so that was something, at least. And you looked so peaceful that I couldn't stand to disturb you." Edward kissed the side of my head affectionately and tightened his grip momentarily.

"Is there a plan for today?" I asked tentatively after taking a sip of coffee.

"Not yet. Your mom came up with several ideas, but your dad flatly refused to make a decision without you," Edward relayed with a smile.

I set my coffee down and stretched again with a yawn. "What time is it?"

Edward's eyes snapped back up from the sliver of skin revealed when I pulled my arms up and he grinned. "It's almost ten, sleepyhead. I guess someone got worn out last night."

And . . . cue the blush. I ducked my head and hid behind the curtain of hair. "I did," I mumbled.

"Hey." Edward lifted my chin with his fingers and tucked my hair behind my ear. "Don't hide, beautiful. I was hoping that you enjoyed yourself." His voice was soft and gentle. He kissed me gently, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "If you did, maybe you'll let me do that again," he teased.

"Edward!" I gasped, and then lightly smacked his shoulder.

"Is that a 'no' then?" he asked innocently, as if he already knew the answer.

"No, it's not a 'no.' I just can't believe you just said that!" I cried.

Edward tackled me to the mattress, his own cup having been long ago discarded. "And why wouldn't I?" he whispered huskily next to my ear.

"You want to do that again?" I asked, looking up at him through my lashes.

Edward groaned and flexed his hips. I could feel his length against me, and I shivered in desire. "God, Bella, yes. You are . . . so, so sexy and watching you come apart in my arms like that? Fucking amazing."

A sudden thought occurred to me. "But you didn't . . ."

Edward shrugged and sucked my earlobe into his mouth.

I moaned and melted into him. His fingers were wandering down my arms and were almost to my chest, when a firm knock broke the silence.

Edward cursed lightly under his breath. It sounded like, "Fucking cock-blocking Renée," but I couldn't be sure. He dropped his head and hand to the mattress and groaned.

I giggled. "I'm up, Mom," I called. "Come on in."

Edward grumbled again, but sat up in a more parent-friendly position.

I just giggled at his disgruntled attitude, since I knew he wasn't too terribly serious.

Mom opened the door slowly. "Is everyone decent?" she called out in her sickly sweet, teasing voice.

"No thanks to you," Edward mumbled under his breath, and I hit him on the shoulder again. He looked at me, mouthed, "What?" and laughed.

"Am I interrupting?" Mom asked, and I thought I was going to die of embarrassment when Edward said, "Yes."

I glared at him, and he just chuckled. "We were discussing what she wanted to do today," he said vaguely, and I was sure that my face turned bright red.

"Oh? And what did you come up with?" Mom asked eagerly.

"We hadn't gotten through all the ideas yet," I said through slightly gritted teeth. "Why don't you tell me what you were thinking?"

Mom smiled and sat on the end of the bed near my feet. "Well, your dad thought you might like to see some of the land that's causing so much trouble." She shrugged, as if this idea didn't appeal to her. "I thought we could go to the zoo, or show Edward some of the historical sites. We could go to the antique mall if you wanted to. There's not much to do here around the house, so I figured we should go out. You know your dad; he wants to eat at Billy's for lunch."

I groaned. Billy's was this little hole in the wall that my dad loved. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either, usually.

Mom held up her hand. "Billy's got a new lady working with him, and it has gotten better. Sue's made some improvements in the menu," she said with a laugh.

"Still," I whined. "Can't we eat at the bistro inside the antique mall instead?"

Mom's eyes lit up. "You want to go to the antique mall?"

I nodded. "Sure. How far away is what Dad wants to show us? We could do that first, and then go there. It's a little cold for the zoo, I think."

"It'll take about an hour to get there," she cautioned.

I shrugged. "Then I guess we better get ready to go."

Mom smiled at us and closed the door behind her as she left.

I turned to Edward. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his legs were crossed straight out in front of him. The white T-shirt that he had worn to bed the night before was stretched over his muscled chest and shoulders, and he looked curious.

"Antiquing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What? It's fun!" I defended.

"Nothing! I just never would have pictured it. Is there something specific you're after, or do you just like looking around?" he asked curiously.

"It depends. I think today it's going to be just looking around. I don't want to stay outside all day. Is that okay with you? Is there something else you'd rather do?" I asked, suddenly afraid that he would be miserable all day.

Edward held out his arm for me and wrapped it around my shoulders.

I nuzzled into his chest, my heart beating wildly.

"Baby, I'm spending the whole day with you and your parents. I don't care what we do. If you're having fun, I'll be perfectly happy."

I chuckled and raised my head to give him a devilish grin. "Oh, you say that _now_. Why don't you get in the shower, since you're faster than me, so we can get out of here?"

Edward's eyes glazed over for a second, and he sighed. "All right. I'll be out in a minute." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed something out of his bag.

I was going to say something about his slight change in attitude, but then I heard the water turn on, and I realized that Edward was in there naked. Heat flooded through my body, and I wondered if his thoughts had run in the same direction as mine.

Knowing that he would be out momentarily, I gathered the jeans and fitted Henley that I wanted to wear and went downstairs to throw them in the dryer. Maria promised to bring them upstairs in just a few minutes. There was nothing better than warm jeans on a cold day.

The water was just shutting off as I entered the room, and within minutes, Edward stepped out in his boxer briefs, running a towel through his hair. A few drops of water remained on his chest and stomach, and his toned legs contracted with each step. It was seriously one of the hottest things I'd ever seen.

I must have made a sound, because Edward's head snapped up to mine and a lazy grin spread across his face. "Can I help you with something, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked teasingly.

"Um, no," I squeaked out and ran for the bathroom. As soon as the door was closed behind me, I sank to the toilet to clear my head. I could hear Edward chuckling outside the door. Quickly, I discarded my clothes and hopped in the shower, just to get away from _sex-on-legs_ standing outside the door.

When I finally left the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day—Maria had brought my clothes in while I was rinsing- Edward was nowhere to be found. Figuring that he had gone downstairs to be with my parents while they waited for me, I headed down. In the hallway, just outside my father's office, was Edward, slumped on a bench with his head in his hands. I could just hear my parents talking on the other side of the door.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked Edward gently.

"What?" He looked up in surprise, and his eyes were red. "Yeah. Are you ready to go?"

I nodded. "Are Mom and Dad both in there?"

He grimaced. "They're having a discussion. I didn't want to interrupt."

I gave him a quizzical look and knocked on the door. Mom threw open the door and gave me a huge, fake smile.

"Are you and Edward ready?" she asked brightly. I could see her forcing it, and I wondered what was going on. She didn't wait for me to answer, but walked straight to the garage.

I just shrugged at Edward, and he fell into step beside me.

Edward was quiet on the hour drive north and was listening to the conversation between my parents and me. About fifteen minutes in, he'd reached for my hand and hadn't let go. Dad told us to look out the passenger's side window at the concrete and steel buildings lining the street. He explained that this was the outer edge of the property I had inherited, and that this development accounted for a substantial portion of the profits drawn on it.

"Where does that money go?" I asked. Edward hadn't mentioned it when we'd talked about our accounts earlier.

"Swan Holdings has a separate account just for these, and it all goes into there," Dad informed me.

Edward's brow furrowed. "Does Bella have access to that account?"

"She's a signee on it," Dad answered without further explanation.

I sighed and pursed my lips. "I'm going to need to see those statements and be included on those decisions, Dad," I said, barely reining in my frustration.

"You might want to look at setting up a separate holding company for it, too," Edward said. "The tax liabilities for both the new company and Swan Holdings would probably benefit."

"She inherits it all anyway," Renee dismissed.

I felt my temper rising. They'd married me off, left me on my own, and yet, were still treating me like a child.

I took a deep breath and squeezed Edward's hand for strength. "Yes, but those accounts are _mine_ now, and I should have some say in how they run. I appreciate that you all have taken care of it for me up until now, but I think it's time for me to start getting involved."

Dad nodded. "You're right, of course. We can look over it tonight if you like, but it would probably be better to wait until Monday morning when the property manager can join us. I know that you are going back tomorrow, but we can do it by conference call," he assured me.

"Thank you," I replied somewhat stiffly. It was way past time for me to have taken charge of my own life.

Dad continued to drive around and give us a general gist of what was included. After almost an hour of this, Mom started complaining and almost demanded that we get on with the fun portion of our day. Dad, being the pushover for Mom that he'd always been, turned the car and immediately drove the forty five minutes to her favorite antique mall.

It was huge and so easy to get lost in. Since I had missed breakfast, I requested that our first stop be the bistro so I could get the world's best chicken salad sandwich. Edward shook his head at my enthusiasm and went off to get our food as soon as we broke through the doors.

It was the little things he had done this trip that made me realize that he wanted this to work and was committed to me. He'd endured uncomfortable meals with my parents, loaned me his strength and support when I needed it, held my hand just because, and now, he argued with the lady at the counter to make sure that my sandwich was just right. I could see him getting frustrated as he repeated my order over and over.

Mom was busy babbling about some lamp that she wanted to look at, and Dad was standing behind Edward, looking bemused.

When they finally made it back to the table, Edward dropped my plate in front of me. "They don't make it this way, Bella. How dare you order it differently?" he teased. "Seriously, though, I wouldn't recommend getting anything else from that woman. She's a tyrant."

Dad laughed. "She really thought it deserved those pickles, Bells. I thought poor Edward was going to have to wrestle them away from her."

I laughed and thanked Edward for his efforts, before I scarfed my sandwich down. It was divine. When the rest of them finished eating, Edward took my hand again and walked beside me as we wandered through the rows of stalls. Occasionally, we would stop and look at something, but mostly, we window-shopped and made fun of some of the more garish items. Mom found the lamp that she was looking for, and although Dad thought it was hideous—a fact he only admitted to Edward and me—he grudgingly paid for it.

Edward and I had walked off on our own for a bit, when we stumbled upon a group of stalls that had bedroom furniture. The queen sized sleigh bed was a deep mahogany and so elegant. It stood taller than most, and both the head board and foot board were thick, but smooth scrolls. I could just see it with a thick off-white duvet draping over each side and a mound of pillows at the top.

"What's gotten your attention, love?" Edward asked when he realized that I wasn't moving.

I pointed to the bed. "It's so pretty," I murmured.

"It is pretty," he agreed. "What are you thinking?"

It was a frivolous desire. The fact that it would match the rest of our furniture didn't escape me, but we already had two beds and didn't need another one. I sighed. "I don't know. I really like it, but we don't need it."

"No, we don't," he agreed. "But you want it."

I sighed and chose to admit the truth. "Yeah, I do," I said softly.

He nodded and untangled our fingers. He took a couple of strides forward and examined the sign that listed all of the history and pricing. "It was made by a local cabinetmaker in 1901 and has been in the same family since. It says it belonged to the Whittakers?" He looked to me to see if I recognized the name.

"Howard Whittaker was the mayor for years. Dad grew up with his son, and I think he moved to New York years ago," I confirmed. Dad and Mitch Whittaker hadn't been close, but the gossip mill never failed to keep us informed on his whereabouts.

"Hmm. Then it was probably well taken care of. It says that the dressers aren't part of the original set, but that they were made around 1925." Edward busied himself looking at the craftsmanship.

"How much is the whole set?" I asked with trepidation. Being handmade probably meant that it cost a small fortune.

Edward winced. "A lot."

I huffed. "How much is a lot?"

"Fifteen thousand for all five pieces," Edward relayed.

I gasped. "Holy shit! Never mind. I don't like it _that_ much."

Edward chuckled and stuck one hand in his pocket. "Are you sure? We can . . ."

"No! That's just ridiculous to spend so much on furniture that we already have two of. I mean, we have your bed and mine already! I might not know how much we have in the bank, but I do know that I don't want to spend it like that. Wait, how much do we have in the bank?"

Edward laughed and took my hand as I started walking away from the bed. "More than that, love."

"Really?" I gaped at him.

He gave me a chagrined smile and nodded. "There are some benefits to not having a house payment and splitting the expenses with three other couples."

I conceded to his point. "Has everyone always lived together like this in your family?" I asked curiously. I knew that Alice and Jasper had, but I wasn't sure about Rose and Emmett.

"Other than when we went off to college, yeah. The house is so big, though, I once went three weeks without seeing Em or Rose. I've always seen it more like living in the same building, you know. As if we all had our own apartments and worked within walking distance. Does it bother you?" he asked, as if considering the family's living situation odd for the first time.

I shrugged. "Not really. I mean, up until now, it's been nice to have them around so that I had some company, and it's always easy to find someone if you want to talk. It's just a little strange."

Edward's forehead creased as it often did when he was thinking hard. "Do you want to get our own place? I mean, we can if you want; I just hadn't considered it."

I stopped in the middle of the aisle, and Edward's arm was tugged back slightly. My mind was busy turning over his offer and examining it from every direction. Did I want separate living quarters from the rest of the family? On the one hand, it would be nice to not have someone walking in at inappropriate times and being able to have some privacy. And it would be easier to stay away from Tanya and the things that reminded me of her. On the other, it wasn't like we weren't able to keep things to ourselves.

Hell, we hadn't spoken for two years, and no one noticed or interfered then.

Also, if Alice and Jasper decided to have a family, I could have instant access to my niece or nephew all the time. Their rooms were far enough away that we wouldn't be bothered by crying, and I'd get to see them every day if I wanted to. It would also mean less of a commute for Edward.

"I don't know. Not right now, I don't think. But can we keep it as an option?" I requested.

"Sure."

"Are you positive that you don't mind me considering it? They are your family after all, and—"

"_You're_ my family, Bella," Edward insisted. "And if you want to move out, then that's what we'll do. Do you want to tell me what you were thinking so hard about?"

I smiled. "Just thinking about the pros and cons. It's a short list so far. Maybe for now, we can just set some ground rules, like calling before people just walk into our rooms, and letting everyone else know when company is going to be there."

"That sounds fair," he agreed, and we resumed walking through the maze of old things. A few minutes later, we found my dad thumbing through an old vinyl record collection.

"Where's Mom?" I asked.

He waved over his shoulder. "She's somewhere over there, looking at doilies or something like that. Seems to think that old yellow lace is pretty."

Edward laughed and picked up the albums that my dad had pulled out. They got in a discussion about the merits of each record, and I quickly bored. Mom was only an aisle over, so I strolled over and tried to convince her that she didn't need frilly things for her plant stands.

It was after six when we all met back up and left the antique mall, the lamp our only purchase. Dad drove to LongHorn Steakhouse, and we enjoyed a dinner full of laughter. As soon as he finished his steak, Edward slung his arm around me and pulled me close to him. I didn't even think it was a conscious gesture, as he was listening intently to a story my dad was telling about tailgating at a Phillies game he'd gotten tickets to. It was like he just wanted me closer, and he made it happen. I settled into his side and listened to my father talk animatedly about all of the sights and sounds, both before and during the game.

Mom, though, liked sports about as much as most women. She got impatient after a while and broke into the conversation. "Charlie, you know I'm glad you had fun, but I want to know what we're going to do to have fun with our kids tonight."

Dad shook his head slightly, as if to say, "Women," and Edward chuckled. "Well, Renée, Edward and I thought we'd take our girls to the movies. What do you say? Can I take you on a double date?"

Mom blushed and gave Dad a real smile. "That sounds great, boys. What are we seeing?"

Edward moved his arm and whipped out his phone. "There's a showing of that new Scarlett Johansson movie at eight, or the fifth _Indiana Jones_ movie at eight fifteen."

"Ooh! Let's see the Scarlett Johansson one. I've been dying to go," Mom declared.

"No!" I cried. "Mom, it's terrible. Angela and I went to see it, and I wanted my two hours back. The old lady in front of us booed the screen. Shia LaBeouf is good. Let's see that one."

"Shia LaBeouf, huh?" Edward teased me. "So that's the kind of guy you like. I see how it is."

"Yeah, like you aren't going to enjoy watching Nikki Reed," I ribbed back.

Edward smirked at me. "You know it, baby. That beauty mark just does it for me."

I sniggered at him, and it wasn't long before we were both laughing. Mom just stared at us, and Dad's mustache was twitching as he fought a smile.

"We're going to have to get out of here if we're going to make it," Dad reminded us, and we all jumped up. Luckily, Dad had already paid the bill-after arguing over it with Edward. We piled back into the car and sped to the theatre.

Once there, it was like we were on a date; albeit with my parents as our second couple. Edward was the perfect gentleman, bought me popcorn and Sour Patch Kids, and let me choose our seats. I put us behind my parents, because, well, we were on a date, and I didn't want them looking over at us the whole night.

The movie was really good. The theatre had moveable arm rests, so Edward kept his arm around my shoulders. Occasionally, during the romantic scenes, he would lean down and kiss me tenderly, as if I really was his whole world. My entire body warmed at the attention, and I eagerly kissed him back. A couple of times, it took a bang or an explosion from the screen to drag us apart.

Dad did his usual film recap as we walked from the theatre, and the rest of us added in our own critiques. As we came up to the bathrooms, Edward kissed the side of my head, and we parted to empty our bladders after the long film. Fortunately, Mom and I didn't have to wait too long, but when we came back out, Edward was clearly on edge. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw me and folded me into his arms. I felt him kiss the top of my head and squeeze me to him.

"Did you miss me for the all of ten minutes I was gone?" I teased him and tucked myself under his arm as we walked out.

He seemed unwilling to let me go too far away, and he still seemed uptight.

"Of course. I always miss you when you leave," he said, trying clearly to lighten the atmosphere and distract me.

I stopped and forced him to look at me. "What is your deal?" I demanded. I hated it when he got all weird on me.

"Nothing, baby, I just—" He stopped as soon as my attention was stolen by someone walking behind him.

Edward turned his head slightly, and his mouth flattened into a thin line. James Windemere's gaze never left me, and he gave me a wicked grin and a little wave. Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach.

I'd felt a lot of emotions in my life, and especially in the last few months: hurt, anger, compassion, anxiety, love, but never had I ever felt such pure and unadulterated fear as I did in that moment. There was something in his eyes, in his bearing, that chilled me to my core. At that instant, I knew that Edward, Demetri, and my dad were right. He was dangerous—to me. I just didn't understand why.

"Take me home," I whispered to Edward urgently. "_Please_."

He nodded and moved so that I had him on one side and my father on the other. Together, they flanked me all the way to the car, with my mother immediately at my back. Edward made sure that I was seated, before rushing around to his side and ducking in.

"Son of a bitch!" my dad yelled as soon as we were underway. "What the hell, Edward?"

"I told you, Charlie. Something's not right with him. Do you see now why I asked?" Edward threw back.

"But how did he know where we'd be?" Mom cried. "We just decided to go!"

Edward's voice was cold. "He's probably had someone following her."

I just listened to them talk like I wasn't here. I was too numb to participate any way. All this time, I had really thought Edward was being silly and over-protective. I never thought I was in any real danger. Now, though, I'd seen the look in his eyes, the hunger and the determination. All directed at me.

Edward held me close as we drove, and my thoughts raced. The thoughts of moving out earlier seemed distant and idiotic. We were safer on the Cullen estate, where I had Edward, Demetri, and Emmett to protect me. I knew that the rest of them would, too, if it became necessary.

Mom hugged me tightly in the foyer, and Dad was resolved, though about what, I wasn't sure. Edward said our "good nights" for us, because I was too lost in my own head to do so. Carefully, he guided me up the stairs and into my room. As soon as the door closed behind us, he clutched onto me as if clinging for his life. Maybe _my life_ would be more appropriate.

"Baby, are you okay?" he finally asked, as I pulled away, tired and ready to get into bed.

"Yeah, I just, I get it now. I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously earlier," I said somewhat mechanically.

He just gave me a small smile and helped me gather my pajamas. We changed and completed our nighttime routines in relative silence, and then turned off the light and crawled under the covers.

Edward studied my face there in the dark and gently wiped the stray strands of hair from my forehead. "I just need you to be careful, Bella. Please. If something happened to you . . ." His voice became choked, and he sucked in a huge breath. I knew how he felt, though, having lived through the day I thought he'd perished in a plane crash.

"I'll be okay," I assured us both and scooted into his arms. I wasn't going to admit to him just how much Windemere scared me, but I needed whatever comfort I could find tonight.

"It's all right, baby," he whispered as he held me close. "I've got you."

When the alarm blared the next morning, I was still securely wrapped in Edward's arms and legs. I managed to pull myself out enough to shut it off, and I woke Edward as I got up to get dressed. Mom and Dad met us downstairs for a quick breakfast and extorted me to be careful. Mom's hug lasted longer than normal, and there were tears in her eyes as she waved goodbye.

The car ride home was quiet, but mostly because we were both tired and lost in our own thoughts. Edward never relinquished my hand, and his thumb rubbed smooth circles over my knuckles.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly a little over an hour into our drive.

"My life, I guess. I never realized how little control I had over it until now, and I feel like I have a ton to do to catch up."

Edward looked intent as he answered. "You do know that it's okay to ask for help, right? As long as you stay involved and informed, you don't have to do it all yourself."

"That kind of feels like cheating, though. Everyone else has been taking care of all my responsibilities and needs for the last eighteen years. Why should I burden you all with it, when I'm perfectly capable?" I argued.

"Because you aren't a burden to us, Bella," he said with a laugh. "We want to help, and I think there will be plenty for us all to do."

I wasn't sure what to say, so I let his comment absorb and settle, while I changed the subject. "What do we have planned this week?"

"Work?" he laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, no kidding."

"We have some property down near the river that we've left undisturbed because of flooding concerns, but now we are trying to decide whether to build some commercial spaces or whether to revamp it and convert it into wetlands," he told me.

"Why wetlands?" I asked, and Edward spent the next several miles explaining the vital importance of the wetlands ecosystem and how portions of the wetlands could be used by companies needing to off-set carbon output.

"What do you have going on this week?" Edward asked with interest.

I shrugged. "Just New Horizons this week. Our topic tomorrow is gossip and bullying, because clearly I'm qualified to moderate a discussion on that," I said sarcastically. This was one of the topics someone in the group had chosen, though I had no idea why, and I planned to spend some time tonight and tomorrow morning doing some research. "Oh, and Dad reminded me before we left that he's going to call tomorrow to talk about the property management."

"Do you want me to be there?" he asked. "That _is_ part of what I do."

"Um, I don't know. Can I tell you later?" I wanted to do this on my own, but I knew that I could use his expertise.

He agreed and took a deep breath, glancing over at me quickly before he spoke again. "Would you like to go out this week? With me?"

"Like on a date?" I asked incredulously.

He chuckled nervously, and his hand rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, yeah. I mean, I thought it would be good for us to have some time, just the two of us, and I'd like to do things right since our relationship has been all backwards—"

I cut off his rambling, because though it was really cute, he was reminding me of things I didn't want to think about right now, namely how screwed up we actually were. "I'd love to."

For the rest of drive, Edward seemed a lot calmer, and we just chatted about inconsequential things. He asked some more questions about my life before, and I got him to open up about his. Even though Edward had played baseball through school, he said he'd never fit in with jocks. They made fun of him for being quiet and smart, but still accepted his help when they needed to pass their classes. He laughed about it, but I could tell that it had bothered him a lot at one time. Edward also revealed that his favorite movies growing up were the original Star Wars films, and that he'd had horn-rimmed glasses until he was sixteen.

"How have I never seen you in those?" I exclaimed.

He gave me a look that clearly said he thought I was nuts. "Because I got rid of them when I got contacts?"

"No, I mean your glasses!" A mental image was forming in my mind, and before I could stop it, I blurted out, "I think that would be hot!"

Edward burst into laughter. "Hot? You wouldn't think that if you saw them."

"Hmmm," I teased, "I might have to bribe your mom to show me pictures."

He groaned and shook his head, knowing that she would only be all too eager to bust out the baby pictures.

"We should make it just in time for the first game," he noted, clearly changing the subject.

"Already?" I asked, looking around at the scenery for the first time in hours. We were only about fifteen minutes from home.

Edward grinned, and before I knew it, we were pulling into the driveway. He took the bags from the back and walked with me into the house. At his urging, I went straight to the rec room, where I could hear everyone already gathered, while he took our bags upstairs.

Emmett turned from the TV as soon as I opened the door and lumbered over to me. As soon as he got close, he picked me up and swung me in a circle. "Bella, Bella, Bella! I've missed you!"

I laughed loudly. "I've missed you too, Emmy-bear," I teased. "Now put me down so I can see the game!"

The Giants/Redskins game was completely boring, and the Bills/Panthers game wasn't any better, so we all took to making fun of the players and each other. Alice, tiring of the juvenile short jokes, went to the closet and pulled out Taboo and Battle of the Sexes. Jasper refused to play Battle of the Sexes, on account of Rosalie's knowledge of cars and my passing knowledge of sports. Instead, we all encircled the coffee table and played boys versus girls Taboo for the next hour. There was a lot of laughter as people shouted out random answers, and we ended up winning on our last turn.

Esme and Carlisle joined us around dinner time, with the announcement that there was a huge pot of chili in the kitchen waiting for us. I'd never seen three men move faster than Edward, Emmett, and Jasper did. All three of them scrambled off the floor and raced each other to the door, sliding, pushing and shoving all the way. It was hilarious. Rosalie and Alice followed more sedately, but cheerfully as they laughed at their husbands and mine. Esme linked her arm with me and tugged me toward the kitchen.

"How was your trip? Did you all have a good time?" she asked as we crossed the threshold into the foyer.

"It was good," I replied. "Mom and Dad were happy to see us. I think we're going to have to make an effort to go up there more often."

"I'm sure they'll love that," she said in her motherly tone. "What did you all do?"

I flushed, thinking about the part of the trip I wasn't going to tell her about. "We, um, well, we showed him around my hometown and we went antiquing," I answered as we entered the kitchen. "And last night, we went to the movies."

A loud clanging startled me and pulled my attention away from Esme. Edward had dropped the ladle into the pot and was scowling . . . at me.

"What?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at his expression.

He shook his head. "You just reminded me about the movies, that's all."

Emmett rolled his eyes at Edward's dramatics. "What? Bella chose a movie that was so bad she deserves the death stare? It must have been so hard to sit through a chick flick, dude."

Edward's face snapped to Emmett, and he looked surprised. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not giving Bella the death stare. And we went and saw the new Indiana Jones. It's really good."

"You were, too. If the movie was good, what's your problem?" Emmett said a little belligerently.

And then I understood. It wasn't me he was aggravated with.

Edward sighed. "We ran into James Windemere after the movie." There were the appropriate gasps and curses following his pronouncement, and Esme tugged me closer to her, as if she was protecting me from the mere mention.

"Is it possible that it was a coincidence?" Rosalie asked, her brash, no-nonsense attitude getting to the heart of the matter.

Edward pursed his lips and shook his head. "No. Judging by the look on his face, there's no way."

I shivered, remembering his leer.

Instantly, Emmett started making plans to "take his ass out" and enlisting Jasper to help on "Bella watch." My big brothers were determined to make sure that I was completely safe. Remembering the way James had made me feel, I knew he was dangerous, but here in my home, I felt safe, and I couldn't muster the fear necessary to have this conversation. Instead, I kissed a worried Esme on the check and piled noodles and chili in my bowl.

After our delicious meal and a couple more hours of watching football, I was exhausted. The weekend had been emotionally draining for me. I didn't really care about the outcome of the Chargers game, so I said my goodnights about ten o'clock and trudged up the stairs.

I settled into a hot bath and examined all I needed to face. First and foremost, Edward and I needed to work on our relationship. We were slowly building it up to where it needed to be, but now that I had decided to stay, I wanted to be rid of the limbo. It was easier thought than done though, as our past, his indiscretions and my insecurities, were huge stumbling blocks. Maybe seeing someone neutral would be good for us.

Second, I needed to take control of my life and finances. I would talk with my father the next day on the land and development, and hopefully, Edward could cover our finances with me, too. I had school to pay for, as well as everything else I did, and I wanted to make sure I understood how that worked and what we could afford.

Last on my radar was whatever was going on with the Windemeres. I wanted to know what their motivation was, but I also figured that if the first two things were settled, we would have nothing to worry about.

My thoughts were cut off by a light rapping on the door. "Bella, are you in there?"

I blushed, even though I knew he couldn't see me. I was completely naked in the bathtub, and Edward was about ten feet away. "Uh, yeah, I'll, uh, be right out."

"No need. I was just checking on you. I'm going to get ready for bed, okay?" Edward called back.

"Yeah. I'll be over there in a few minutes," I told him. It was ridiculous how much he affected me and how nervous I was to be naked near the man I was married to. I wondered when and if that would ever change.

Edward was already in bed, with just a lamp lit next to him, when I finally pulled myself together and walked into his bedroom. As if sensing that I was still lost in my thoughts, he merely set down the book he was reading, held open his arms, and clicked off the light as soon as I settled next to him. Shifting slightly, he pulled my back to his chest, kissed the back of my head, and whispered, "Good night."

Thankfully, I was able relax in his embrace and float off into dreamland within minutes.

**In case you haven't heard the news, The Arranged Marriage won the Makes You Cry Avant Garde award! Thank you to everyone that took the time to vote. I literally couldn't be more shocked and proud. You seriously rock! It is up for another award at The Twinklings and I will post the link for voting on the forum and my profile as soon as I get it. **

**It was also rec'd this week on The Twilight Awards site. Check it out!**

**I am sure there is more I want to say, but it's late and I know you want the chapter. **

**Here are a few stories to get into if you need something to read in between updates:**

**Whispered Words and False Promises by lambcullen**

**All the Wild Horses by elusivetwilight**


	18. Chapter 18: Introspection

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable elements belong to their respective owners. This belongs to me. Keep it that way, please. **

**A/N: I have a lot of people to thank for helping get me through this chapter and for making it readable. Riss—you rock. Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy—there are no words for your incredible betaing skills. Thank you all. I also need to thank swimom7 and twilight15 for talking me off a few ledges and making me get this *** done. Love you guys. **

**Chapter 18: Introspection**

**BPOV**

Edward's alarm went off early, and I reluctantly got up with him, despite his assurance that he would call to wake me up later. I had a lot of things to get started on, and I didn't have time to waste. After showering, I dragged my laptop down to my office and started my research on teenage bullying. I had lots of information on what bullying was, along with a slew of statistics by eleven o'clock, when my dad called.

Jerry Bickell, the owner of Great Lakes Properties, was on the line with Dad, and he quickly introduced himself and named his qualifications. Dad also had his accountant on the line to answer any tax questions I might have. I sent a quick text to Edward, asking him to join us. I figured it would be easier than having to repeat myself later.

Once Edward was seated and the phone was on speaker, Jerry explained which properties he managed on my land, and what the revenues had been over the last year. Each of the seventeen buildings on the property leased for between four and six dollars per square foot, and currently, all but one were occupied. In short, I had more than four million dollars in income from that alone each month. Bill Meyer, Dad's accountant, cautioned me that a significant portion of that money still went to the bank each month to pay off the loan taken out to pay for the original development, and some of it went back to Great Lakes Properties as their management fee. As Dad had promised over the weekend, all of the proceeds were deposited into a separate account for me, and a separate K-1 was issued for my taxes each year.

I shot a questioning glance at Edward regarding this, and he shrugged. I was a little annoyed that I hadn't heard about this before. My expression must have been less than pleased, though, because he searched my desk for a piece of paper and wrote me a note.

_We got a statement last year, but it had your name on it, so I just sent it to the accountant for our taxes. _

More than a little irked, I hastily wrote back. _**And you didn't think I might want to see it?**_

_I'm sorry. I didn't know what it was. _He looked like he wanted to add something else, but slid the paper across the desk with a shrug. His entire posture, though, was defeated and sad.

I sighed, knowing that this was one more thing that had suffered because of our dysfunction. It wasn't something I could deal with while on the phone with Dad, Bill, and Jerry, though, so I set it aside for later. For the rest of the hour, I listened to them go through all of the nuances for me. At my request, Jerry agreed to send me statements and information monthly, more frequently if the situation warranted, and Bill said that he would forward all of the quarterly reports. That was as much as we were going to achieve, and at least now I had an idea of what my father's gift meant both to me and to them.

When I disconnected the call, Edward gave me a sad smile and stood to leave.

"Hey," I called after him, "come back here."

He turned around, but didn't move from his place by the door, and his whole posture radiating uncertainty.

"Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'm happy about this, but there's nothing we can do about it now. Just promise me that you'll show that stuff to me when it comes in from now on," I said tiredly.

"Of course, Bella," Edward readily agreed. "Do you have another minute?"

I checked the time on my phone, and it was just after one. "I don't have to leave for another hour or so. What's up?"

With measured steps, Edward moved back over to the chair he had just vacated and sat down on the edge. "I was thinking about what we talked about this weekend, and I called Dr. Jarboe this morning."

Dr. Jarboe? Why would he call his doctor? I racked my brain and tried to figure out when we had talked about one of us being ill, or if we had discussed another . . . blood test. I was coming up blank, though. My confusion must have shown on my face, because he clarified quickly.

"I wanted to get a referral. For a marriage counselor."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what to say. I knew we needed to go, but I hadn't expected to start this week. "Um, well, d-did he . . . say anything?" I asked haltingly.

Edward swallowed. "He gave me a couple of names."

He had rendered me speechless. I just didn't know how to respond, and I stared somewhat blankly. My mind was racing now that the far off concept of talking to a stranger about our marriage was about to become a reality.

Edward's voice broke through my reverie. "Do—do you still want to go?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I do. Um, are either of these people good?"

Edward chuckled humorlessly. "I have no idea. There's a man and a woman. Do you have a preference?"

After a quick minute of thought, I told him that I would feel more comfortable with the woman, and he left to set up the appointment for us while I returned to my research.

Gossip and bullying was a hard topic for many of the girls at New Horizons. Every one of them had a story about rumors that spread like wildfire through the school, and several commented on the kids that were made fun of because of it. Using the research I had done, I brought up some of the more common types of bullying and asked if they had ever witnessed it. Avery looked a little uncomfortable, and I wondered if she had been the victim or the instigator.

Despite the gruesome nature of some of the crimes, I went through a few of them. There was an old case in Louisville, Kentucky, where the victim was sodomized, and then set on fire. Another case, more local, ended with the victim getting bashed in the head with a large rock, just because she talked to the other girl's boyfriend. None of the witnesses stood up for either girl. We talked about the importance of not spreading rumors and in taking up for those that are getting picked on. The two examples I'd brought with me were extreme, but I knew that the psychological effects could be permanent.

I was still thinking about it when Demetri picked me up. If he noticed my preoccupation, he didn't mention it. I had been teased when I was younger for being shy and smarter than some of my peers, and that probably had a lot to do with my own insecurities. They told me that I was plain and nerdy so often that I eventually believed them. Tanya, too, had been picked on, but she seemed to have become the aggressor, instead of retreating into herself.

A couple of hours later, dinner was in full swing when Edward touched my arm and whispered in my ear. "Are you okay, love? You seem distracted, and you haven't eaten anything."

I shrugged slightly. "Just thinking about something we talked about at New Horizons today."

"Talk to me about it later?" he requested.

I nodded and pushed some more food around on my plate. I did manage to take a few bites. After dinner, I retreated to my room and flipped through a novel I tried to start a half a dozen times. I just wasn't in the frame of mind to make sense of it.

"What is it?" I heard Edward call from behind me.

I spun quickly and saw him leaning against the door frame, with his arms crossed and a pensive expression on his face.

"What's bothering you?"

"Nothing much," I answered with a shrug. "We just talked about bullying today, and it got me thinking about how cruel girls can be and the lasting damage it does, even when not taken to extremes."

Edward strolled over and sat down facing me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the words of ten year old peers can shape who you turn out to be and how you view yourself for years to come. I just don't understand why kids are so cruel sometimes."

Edward looked slightly confused. "Explain?"

"Just . . . I don't know. You got picked on for being smart, right? That's what I'm talking about. So did I, and the other girls told me so often that I wasn't pretty and that only the ugly, nerdy boys would want me, that now, I see myself that way, too. Does that make any sense?" My words came out in a rush, and I was slightly embarrassed to have unloaded all of that in such a way.

He nodded and looked pensive. "And I'm sure that it didn't help any to be married off to a man that didn't pay any attention to you," he commented astutely.

I gave him a half smile. "No, that didn't help much, but maybe I never tried to get your attention because I didn't think I was worthy of it, either."

"Oh, Bella," he whispered as he tugged me close to him and wrapped me in his arms. "You are worthy; please don't ever doubt that. I don't know what I've done to deserve you. And not pretty? You're one of the most _beautiful_ women I've ever seen!"

I shrugged and burrowed my head into his neck. "Beautiful" wasn't a term that I was accustomed to associating with myself, and I doubted that I would ever be. Edward sighed and rubbed my back soothingly.

Trying to regain my composure, I took a deep breath, sat up, and changed the subject. "How was the rest of your day?"

He chuckled without humor. "Long. There's a lot of work involved in wetlands, apparently, but I'm leaning toward that option. I also called Dr. Emundi. She had an opening for Thursday."

"Dr. Emundi?" I hadn't ever heard of this person, and I was a little confused. I knew that I was supposed to know what he was talking about, but my thoughts had been occupied with the land and bullies all day.

Edward laughed at me. "The marriage counselor?"

"Oh, her," I mumbled, embarrassed. How I had forgotten was a mystery to me, but I had.

"Yes, her. Do you still want to go?" he asked gently, and I knew my thoughts on this matter were what were of importance.

I nodded. "Thursday?"

"At one," he confirmed, and then our conversation turned to the rest of our days, all mention of my own insecurities and fears and the woman that would help us mend set aside for the time being.

The alarm next to Edward's bed went off early the next morning, and I was slightly surprised when Edward hit the snooze button and curled up against me for nine more minutes. All too soon, though, the damn thing went off again, and he slipped from the bed. Mentally, I went over what I needed to do for the day, and wasn't surprised when it was such a short list. I cheered, as it afforded me a few more minutes to sleep, before closing my eyes once more.

A few hours later, I knocked on the door to Edward's office. It swung open to reveal him on the phone, looking frustrated. He held up his forefinger, in a move clearly meant to ask me to wait, so I slid into one of his guest chairs and tried not to listen to his end of the conversation.

"Sorry about that," he said through a sigh when he finally hung up. "To what do I owe this surprise?" His smile was warm and inviting.

"Do you have time to show me the bank stuff we talked about on Friday?" I asked somewhat hesitantly. I didn't expect him to be upset, but I wasn't sure if this was a good time.

"Um, sure. Hang on a sec." Edward picked up the phone. "Dad, the manager of Park City Bank thinks he's located the files we asked for. It will be a few days before they can pull them out of storage, but he'll call when they do." He paused while he listened to Carlisle on the other end, his hands circling in a "come on" gesture. "Yeah, whatever you think. Thanks."

He grabbed a folder from a drawer in his desk and patted his knee. "Come here. You can't see it all from over there."

I rolled my eyes playfully, but flopped into his lap anyway. He made an exaggerated, "oof!" and tickled me lightly. With a quick kiss to my head, Edward opened a set of files on his computer and started opening various account websites, consulting the folder for the account numbers and passwords. It took almost an hour, but when he was done, my head was swimming with figures. I knew all of the bills we had and when they were due, how the household expenses were divvied up and how to use those accounts, and how much money was in each of our accounts. Edward was right; he made plenty to support both of us, and I didn't have to worry about most expenses. We agreed to discuss how to handle my tuition when I had the final numbers, but it didn't look like it would be too difficult for us to afford, if our expenses remained the same.

Alice cornered me when I finished in his office and left to go get myself some lunch. "Can we please get out of here for a little while?" she begged in a tone that I didn't immediately understand.

One look into her blue-gray eyes told me that I didn't dare refuse. "Sure, babe. Is everything okay?" I asked, instantly concerned.

She shook her head. "No, but we can fix it with some girl time, I think." It was clear that whatever was bothering her wasn't going to be discussed here.

"Let's get Demetri, and we'll go. Lunch and shopping?" I confirmed.

When she agreed, we called Demetri and trotted off to the garage, where we got into the family Mercedes. Demetri took us to Panera Bread and sat a few feet away to give us some privacy.

"So, what's going on, Ali?" I asked once we had our food.

She sighed, and her eyes welled up slightly. "Do you remember last week when I told you that Jasper and I were thinking about trying to have a baby?"

"Yes." I took a bite of my macaroni and almost moaned at how good it was. That would have been inappropriate for the situation, though.

"I'm late," she said flatly.

"You're late?" I repeated, not understanding what she meant at first. "Oh, OH! Like _late_, late?"

She nodded miserably. "It's only been a few days, but I've never been late. Not once."

We chewed in silence, while we both digested what this could mean. "You're not ready," I ascertained after a few moments. "To be a mom, I mean."

She scrunched up her face. "I don't know. I thought I was, but now that it might be here, I'm not so sure. I mean, I want to have Jasper's babies, but . . ."

"Not today?" I said with a trace of humor.

She finally laughed a little at that, and we chatted for the remainder of our lunch.

We decided to go to Walgreens first and pick up the test she needed. After that, we were going to go downtown and stroll through a few of the shops on the main drag. As soon as the test was purchased and in our possession, though, she was antsy to take it, so we had Demetri take us home instead.

I sat on her tub and watched her pee on the small white stick. Her leg bounced up and down, and she glanced at the test every couple of seconds, waiting for the answer.

"Quick, tell me something to distract me," she pleaded.

I knew that it would take a lot to take her mind off the wait.

"Um, well, uh . . ." I searched my mind for anything that would do, and I was coming up blank. "Edward and I still haven't had sex yet," I blurted out.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Duh. Really? You didn't think I knew that? The tension coming off the two of you might cause the rest of us to spontaneously combust one of these days."

I was affronted. "We've done other stuff! It's not like we don't touch each other at all. What do you mean, there's tension?"

Alice laughed, despite her own worry. "Woman, the two of you are like dogs in heat that are just circling each other. I know you want him. What's stopping you?"

I shrugged. "I don't think I'm ready for that. Every time I think about it, I freak out. Somehow, I doubt that's what he has in mind."

"Why do you freak out?" she asked, like this was the key to solving the puzzle that was my lack-of-love life.

"Because I think of _her_," I retorted, making it clear I thought she was a dumbass.

Alice returned my look and managed to double it. "Why the hell do you think of her? I mean, he's not thinking of her, so why are you?"

"I don't know; I just do! She's been there before, you know?" I answered.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. He _never _looked at Tanya the way he looks at you. You're just making excuses because you're scared."

"Scared? That's stupid," I huffed.

"Yep." She popped the "p" at the end, and then the little white stick on the counter caught her attention again. "Oh shit. It's time," she breathed. "You look at it." She thrust the stick at me, wrapped in toilet paper, with her eyes firmly closed.

I glanced at it and took a deep breath. "What do you want the result to be, Alice?" I asked seriously.

Her hands covered her face, and she shook her head minutely. "I don't know," she whispered in a small voice. "I just don't know."

I sighed, somehow knowing that she was going to be crushed. "You're just late, Alice. It's negative." I kept my tone soft.

A sob burst out of her chest, and I rushed over to hold her. For several minutes, she cried against my shoulder while I rubbed her back and whispered what I hoped were comforting words in her ear. Finally, she took one last sniff and sat up onto the now lidded toilet.

"I guess I should tell Jasper," she said quietly while she dried her face on a piece of tissue. "If you see him, will you tell him where I am?"

I promised that I would, and she told me that she loved me, but she wanted a few minutes alone to think. I understood that desire completely and kissed her cheek, before making my way back downstairs. She was hurting over the loss of her hopes and I knew all too well how she felt. Jasper and Emmett were just getting in, and I passed along Alice's message. His countenance was immediately concerned, and he went straight for their rooms without another word. I went on to the kitchen to see if I could help with dinner—my mind wasn't really in the correct frame to do much else.

Alice didn't come down for dinner. Jasper ate quickly and filled a plate to take up to her. Judging by his demeanor, the news had hit him hard, too. When Esme asked about her, Jasper simply said that she wasn't feeling well. I gave him a small smile, which he returned, but his attention kept wandering to his wife, and I left him alone.

Edward cornered me as soon as we were alone that night. "What's wrong with Alice?"

Momentarily, I warred with myself. This was Alice's story to tell, but Edward was my husband, and I didn't feel right keeping it from him. Since she hadn't told me not to, I thought it would be all right.

"It's all right," he immediately backtracked, as if sensing my inner war. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. Alice and Jasper have been trying to have a baby. Her period was late, and she thought . . . well, you can guess. We went to get a test this afternoon, and she's not. She didn't take it very well."

Edward sank onto the couch. "A baby? Wow. I had no idea." He sounded awed and overwhelmed.

"Yeah," I agreed with a chuckle. "That was one of my pros for living here—being close to our niece or nephew. Really, she wasn't sure that she was ready to be a mother, and at first, didn't know how she wanted the test to turn out."

"A baby," Edward murmured again.

I laughed. "Yes, those are the small people that are created to continue our species."

"I know that," he sighed. "I just . . . a _baby_. Do you want kids?" He sounded lost.

"Um, maybe someday, but we aren't even having sex yet, so . . ." I was sure that I was giving him a crazy look.

He flinched and the silence between us stretched. Finally, Edward cleared his throat and spoke. "Uh, I was thinking that maybe we could do that date we talked about tomorrow night."

Grateful for the change of subject, I nodded. "That sounds good. Where are we going?"

He gave me his crooked grin. "Oh, I'm not telling yet. Mostly because I haven't planned it, but I'd like to surprise you, too. Is there anything that you do or do not want to do?"

We bantered around some ideas while we got ready for bed, both exhausted from our days. It was a little disappointing that we couldn't do my first choice of a wine tasting, since I wasn't legally old enough to drink, but Edward was sure that he could come up with something else fun. That night, I curled into his arms and slept like a metaphorical baby.

Wednesday dawned early. I didn't have anything to work on until I went to New Horizons, so I read for a little while and relaxed. Edward texted me around lunch time to tell me to dress casually for our date and that he would pick me up. I thought the pretty red sweater, jeans, and heeled boots made the perfect ensemble—a little dressy, but not enough to cross the line.

The girls had stuffed the box with a few free day, or anything goes, slips when they put in their topics, and that was what Avery had chosen for our discussion time. We talked about what was going on in their lives, and I was proud to see them offering support to each other. Avery confessed that she realized that some of her actions to classmates were bullying and that she had worked hard to be nicer over the last two days. Jeanette's step-father had left her mother over the previous weekend, and she was worried about how they would afford the basics. Mary shared her pride in winning an award for a short story that she had written the previous spring. I was really proud of each of them, and I told them so.

When our time was up, Melissa saw Edward waiting as he had before and wheeled on me. "Yeah, Bella, why don't you share something real quick?" She was taunting me, and we both knew it.

"My husband is taking me on a date tonight," I offered.

They all squealed. Loudly.

"Where are you going?" Melissa asked, eyes wide and excited.

I smiled at her. "I have no idea. It's a surprise. Now, let's get you all out of here so I can go!"

They all giggled and filed out of the room. I saw a couple of them give Edward flirty waves as they passed, and I just shook my head at them.

He grasped my hand when I got close and gave me a warm smile. It wasn't long before we were in the car, speeding toward a little strip mall in downtown.

"What is this place?" I asked, looking around and not recognizing my surroundings.

"The Art Café," he said with a grin. "You get to paint your own pottery. I thought it would be fun." Suddenly, he looked nervous and unsure. "If you don't like it, we can do something else."

"No! It sounds great!" I hopped out of the car. "How did you find it?"

"Google. I just wanted something different. We'll go to dinner afterwards, but they're only open until seven."

I smiled as he held the door for me, and we walked into the small shop. Various pieces of unpainted pottery cluttered almost every flat surface in the room, and the tables were speckled with paint. A young woman in an apron approached us and explained that we should pick any piece we wanted—the price was on the bottom—and to fill our palettes with the paint at the paint station. When we were finished, they would fire them, and we could pick them up on Saturday.

Edward chose a Christmas tree with plastic lights and a bulb that went through the bottom to light it up, and I chose a set of wall hangings—a cloud, a sun and a moon, all with faces. I figured that they wouldn't be difficult to do. Once I had my yellows, grays, and blues, and a hint of red for the mouths, I sat down and started painting. Edward was focused on his tree, and he seemed more determined than usual.

"Why the tree?" I asked while brushing the white over the moon.

"This? Esme had one when I was little, and I broke it when I was about five. At the time, she told me not to worry about it, that it was just a decoration, but she always looks wistful when we decorate at Christmas. It's not exactly the same, but I thought I'd try. Why the . . . sky things?" he asked with a laugh.

"They were cute? I don't know, no real reason," I admitted, now feeling a little silly.

"I like them," he said shyly, and barely looked up from his tree, just so I could see his eyes through his lashes. It was times like this that he looked so innocent and carefree.

In an effort not to have the rest of our lives touch our date for the night, we concentrated on small talk and getting to know each other a little better. He told me some more about how he was when he was younger—he was rambunctious and alternated between trying to get Esme's attention and being angry with her for not being his mom. He asked about my childhood, and I told him about reading, playing with Barbies, hiking in the woods around my house, and building forts from pillows and blankets.

We finished just as they were closing up, and the attendant carefully laid our finished pieces on firing trays, before assuring us that they would be ready Saturday morning. Edward followed me to the car and opened the door for me. Once he was in the car, he restarted the conversation we'd been having.

"Did Angela do all that with you? She doesn't really seem like the hiking type."

I thought back to all the times I'd told him about. "Um, no, she's not," I said with a laugh. "I didn't meet Ang until we started grade school, and we didn't really get 'play date' close until middle school. I spent most of my time by myself, I guess. We really didn't have a lot of neighbors my age, and I was an only child, so there weren't a lot of people to play with."

"Did you like being an only child?"

"Um, not really. I always wanted a brother or sister, but Mom couldn't have any more kids. What was it like growing up with Jasper and Rose?"

He laughed. "Always interesting. Rose liked to have tea parties when she was really little, and Jasper and I would get dragged to them. Jasper spent as much time outside as he could, so we played catch and pick up football games a lot. Once Rose got older, she and Dad would come play with us."

I got so lost listening to his reminisces that I didn't realize we had stopped, until Edward opened his door and got out. We walked hand in hand to a local bar and grill and stopped in front of the hostess stand to wait our turn. The anorexic looking hostess glanced at me and then looked Edward up and down appreciatively. I sighed and stared at the floor, realizing that even she didn't think I belonged here. Edward pulled me closer to his side and wrapped his arm around my waist. It was his way of reminding me that he was with me, and no one else. My mind pulled out of the hole it had fallen into, and I relished in the feeling of his arms around me.

"Two, please," Edward reiterated as the hostess didn't seem to have heard him the first time.

She grabbed two menus and sauntered through the tables, swaying her hips. She placed us in a booth in the middle of the room and smiled sweetly at Edward. "If there's anything I can do for _you_, don't hesitate to let me know."

His jaw clenched together, and his words were measured as they came out. "I'm sure that my wife and I will be well taken care of."

Her eyes widened, and she glanced over at me, in what I'm sure she thought was a covert manner, before nodding quickly and turning away.

He sighed and reached across the table for my hand, squeezing gently. "I'm sorry, baby. I don't know what her problem was."

I giggled. "I do. You're here with me, and not leaving with her."

He gave me an incredulous look and shook his head, as if he didn't agree. "Whatever you say, sweetheart. Now, what do you want for dinner?"

After deciding to share the breaded baked chicken and the Cajun rib-eye, we returned to our light-hearted banter of the last few hours. Even through our meal, our conversation didn't dwindle, and we discovered that we had more in common than either of us had ever known. It was little stuff, but it was important to me. Like me, he had always wanted to go to England, though he wanted to see a real soccer game while we were there. Neither of us liked lobster, and both of us enjoyed murder mystery novels.

We talked, in general terms, about what we wanted for our future. Edward liked working on his family's businesses, and the more I read about what counselors and psychologists did, the more I wanted to work in the field. True to his word, Edward was supportive and open to all of my ideas.

While we were finishing our sides, the woman at the table behind me started yelling at her dinner companion. She kept saying something about oranges and apples; I was sure that her friend understood, but she sounded ridiculous to me. I let a giggle slip and noticed Edward pressing his lips together and fighting a smile.

"What do you think her problem is?" he whispered tightly, as he tried to control his laughter.

I listened for another second. "Her partner did not apparently pick up the correct fruit at the market, and now, their fruit salad will be sub-standard," I guessed.

He nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm. I thought the apples and oranges were figurative. Like, comparing apples to oranges. But you could be right. Do you really think they are _together?_"

"Yes, I think so. No one gets that upset at someone they couldn't care less about," I decided. "And well, body language is telling. See those men over there?" I pointed to three men at a table several booths away. "I think the two on the same side are related, like brothers, and the one on the inside is introducing his brother to the other guy. The brother's really uncomfortable, though."

"What about that older couple?" Edward challenged.

"No, no, it's your turn," I laughed.

"All right." He examined them with narrowed eyes. "They've been married for years. She's talking, but he's not listening."

Sure enough, his gaze was trained on the television over her head.

We continued our game through dessert, making up lives for the other people in the restaurant, and laughing at our increasingly outrageous theories. By the time we left, there was a serial killer at the bar, two lesbian couples contemplating changing partners, and our favorite hostess was going home alone. Edward kept one hand on me while he walked me to the car, and then grasped it again once he sat down.

"Thank you for coming with me tonight, Bella," he said quietly, nervously.

"Thank you for asking. I had a really good time," I told him honestly. "Do you have more planned, or are we going home?"

"I didn't, but if there's somewhere you want to go, we can." He sounded surprised, but happy.

"No, I'm ready for bed," I said apologetically. "It's been a busy day, and tomorrow's going to be long."

"Ah, tomorrow. Yeah," he breathed, clearly uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation.

Instantly, I was on alert. "Do you not want to go?"

He shook his head. "It's not that. I'm just nervous. Aren't you?"

I shrugged. "A little, but if it helps, then it will be worth it."

He gave me a warm smile and squeezed my hand. "Yes, you are worth it." He walked me up to our rooms and cupped my cheek in his hand. "Thank you for going with me tonight."

I grinned. "Thank you for asking me." It felt strangely formal, but it was a date, so I went along with it.

Edward leaned down and kissed me. I lost myself in his lips and was slightly disappointed when he pulled away. "See you in a few?" he asked with a smile and I nodded with my grin still firmly in place. It was another reminder of how unconventional this was, but it was kind of funny.

We went to our respective rooms to get ready for bed after parting like a couple of teenagers.

And later that night, as he wrapped me into his arms, he reiterated his words. "Bella, you are the most important thing in my life, and to help _us,_ I will give this my all."

"Thank you," I whispered fervently into his chest. I snuggled up to him and tried not to imagine how hard this was going to be for both of us.

**The credit for the counselor's name goes to sheviking. I love all her stories and My Viking owns me right now. You should check it out. **


	19. Chapter 19: Progress

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable things are the property of their owners and this idea is mine. Let's keep it that way. Oh, and Emundi belongs to Ro-se and sheviking. That is all. **

**A/N: Thank you to littlecat358 for helping me with the therapy part of this chapter. She's just wonderful! And to swimom7, javamomma0921, Riss, littlecat358, sammielynnsmom, morethanmyself, beegurl13, and everyone else that helped me limp through this. You girls are seriously awesome. Thanks to Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing this beast. Any mistakes you still see are all my fault. I like to tinker. **

**Chapter 19: Progress **

**BPOV**

The short drive to Dr. Emundi's office was tense. Neither of us spoke much. In the waiting room, Edward sat in his favorite thinking pose with his forearms on his thighs, and tried to keep his leg from bouncing. I stared at our surroundings. They struck me as bland and soothing. The couch we sat on was cream colored, and the walls matched, with cream and pastel green stripes. Several generic pictures dotted the walls, but they didn't hold my attention.

The carpet was a soft, cream-colored high pile and the receptionist's desk was a light cherry. She sat typing on her computer, not having acknowledged us since we introduced ourselves. She was polite, but detached. I supposed that was the way it should be—we were here as patients, after all.

A buzzer sounded on her desk, and she finally looked up. "You can go in now. Dr. Emundi is ready for you." She pointed to a door near her desk, and we both stood nervously.

Edward clutched onto my hand like it was a lifeline, and took a deep breath.

"You ready?" I asked quietly. I wasn't sure why he was so anxious, but it was clear that he was.

He just gave me a tight nod, his gaze fixed firmly on the door, and took a purposeful step forward. I walked with him and stood to the side as he opened it for me.

Dr. Emundi's office was . . . surprising. There were brown leather oversized chairs and an actual loveseat. The walls were lined, floor to ceiling, with bookcases, all full of books. Her desk was a large dark wood piece, with a few stacks of papers littering its surface. The back wall of her office was a huge window, overlooking a wooded area with a creek that I hadn't noticed on the drive up.

"Good afternoon," Dr. Emundi greeted us, and my eyes were instantly riveted to her imposing figure. She was tall, at least six feet, with dark skin and dark, dreadlocked hair. Her expression was so open and inviting, though, I was immediately at ease.

"Hello, Dr. Emundi," I said softly.

"Please, call me Zafrina," she purred in her deep, heavily accented voice. "And have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable."

We sat next to each other on the loveseat, mostly because Edward seemed unwilling to lose contact with me. He still hadn't spoken, and I was getting concerned about him. Despite the fact that he had offered this solution, he seemed irrationally afraid of it.

Zafrina spent a few minutes giving us her credentials and telling us what we could expect from her in treatment. Her job, as she said, was to facilitate discussion between us, and to help us work through the issues that were presented, one at a time. She encouraged us to continue our discussions outside of this room, but we weren't allowed to hold it against each other. She also assured us that everything we said would be held in complete confidence.

"Now, I would like to speak to each of you privately for a few minutes, before we speak again as a group. Mrs. Cullen, if you would stay please, and Mr. Cullen, if you would wait in the waiting room for a few minutes."

Edward tensed next to me, and his grip on my hand tightened. His bright green eyes flickered to mine, and I was shocked to see the naked fear that resided there. My heart beat painfully against my chest, and I hurt for him, even if I didn't understand why he was so afraid.

Zafrina chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, Mr. Cullen. You'll be back in here before you know it."

Reluctantly, he released my hand, stood, and disappeared through the door.

"Now, Mrs. Cullen—"

I cut her off. "Please, call me Bella," I insisted.

"Bella." She smiled, and I was momentarily dazzled by her rows of brilliantly white teeth. "Why don't you tell me why you're here and what you hope to accomplish."

With a deep breath, I gave her a brief history of our relationship, including Edward's distancing and his infidelity. "Things have been a lot better lately, but there are so many times that I can't get through the hurt. I want our marriage to work, but I don't know how to fix it; I don't know how to let go."

Zafrina looked pensive and made a few notes on her pad. "Thank you, Bella. Please send your husband in."

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. I stood, surprised, and went to the door. As I stepped through, Edward's head snapped up.

"Bella?" His breath was little more than a strained whisper.

I gave him a tentative smile. "Zafrina is ready for you."

He swallowed and nodded, giving me a grimace as he left me in the waiting room. As soon as the door shut, I felt a moment of anxiety, knowing that Edward was behind that door, telling her what he thought of our marriage. Various scenarios raced through my mind, and those were the longest fifteen minutes I'd ever experienced. I was nervous, and curiously, felt left out of his thoughts. I wondered if he would tell me about it later.

When she opened the door to let me back in the room, I practically ran back to his side. His eyes were downcast, and his posture radiated unease. I immediately gripped his hand in mine, and he squeezed back almost painfully.

Zafrina chuckled. "The good news is that you both have similar goals, which will make my job easier. As I said, I am here to be a facilitator for the two of you. This is a safe zone. You are free to say whatever you think and whatever you feel while you are here. In fact, that is imperative if we are to achieve your aims. You've taken a lot of great steps lately to rebuild your relationship, and I think seeking out help for the emotional scars is also a great idea. I want to see you once a week to start, and I will make sure that you each have my emergency line in case of a set-back. Do you have any questions at this point?"

When we both shook our heads, she continued, "Good. Next week, we'll start delving into some of issues you brought to my attention. During this time, I want you to focus on your communication, and continuing to repair your relationship as you have been."

After a few more minutes and instructions, she let us go. The time had moved so quickly that I was surprised that our hour was already up. The receptionist scheduled our next appointment for the following Thursday afternoon, and we took the emergency cards she handed us.

Edward was still silent as we got in the car and began the drive home. My stomach rumbled loudly in the silence, and he cracked the first smile I'd seen in a while.

"Are you hungry, baby? Shall we stop for an early dinner?" He looked at the clock. "Or . . . well, a late lunch?"

"That would be great," I said gratefully. "I didn't eat any lunch."

"Me neither," he confessed. "What do you want?"

I looked around, and my eyes settled on an old diner that seemed practically empty. The urge for a greasy cheeseburger was almost more than I could stand. I pointed to it, and he swung the car into the parking lot at the first opportunity. As soon as our doors were open, the smell of grease and cooking meat met my nostrils and propelled me through the door.

The red vinyl benches and formica table were as clean as you would expect, and the menu was a laminated placard set into the salt and pepper shaker holder. Edward was just sitting down as I ripped them out and handed one over to him.

"Hungry, love?" he chuckled.

"Yeah. Aren't you?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

The waitress, a gray-haired, heavyset woman with a motherly smile, sidled up to the table. "Hi! Welcome to Tizzy's. What can I get for ya?"

We both ordered their cheeseburger special, with water for me and Coke for Edward. She promised that it would be right out, and I turned my attention back to the man across from me.

"Are you okay? You seem a little . . . on edge," I noted.

He shrugged, but didn't meet my eyes. "Just nervous, that's all," he mumbled.

"Why are you nervous? Isn't this supposed to be a good thing?" I asked, confused.

His hands shuffled through his flatware and the paper napkin on the table, rearranging them just so. "I'm just . . . what if she tells you that you shouldn't forgive me? That this isn't something you'll ever get over, and that . . . that . . ."

I stared at him, slack-jawed. His fear and anxiety permeated his entire being and was evident in the slope of his shoulders and the set of his jaw. Now that I was really looking, I could see it in every move. "That's—that's just silly," I stuttered.

His head jerked up in shock, and he stared at me, causing me to giggle.

"Her job is to help us fix things, not to make them worse. Didn't she tell you that?"

"She, she said that she would help us work through our thoughts and teach us how to communicate and work together."

"Right." I nodded encouragingly. "Work _together_."

"I just don't want to lose you, Bella," he whispered.

I covered his hand with mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. His eyes met mine and I gave him a small smile. I knew that this would be tough on both of us. For as much pain and hurt as I was holding on to, he was harboring all of my pain and all of the guilt. I hoped Dr. Emundi would help us pull through and that we'd be stronger on the other side.

Two large plates slid across the table, interrupting the moment and breaking through the haze. The smell of the cheeseburger wafted up and invaded my senses.

Without thinking, I broke my grip on Edward's hand and grabbed the luscious hunk of meat instead. My teeth sank through the bread, the toppings, the cheese, and the hamburger. The flavors all combined on my tongue, and I groaned in appreciation. Slowly, I savored the taste of the juicy meat, the crispness of the lettuce and tomato, and the smoothness of the cheese. When I swallowed, I opened my eyes—I hadn't realized that I'd closed them—and saw Edward staring at me with the strangest look on his face. His own hamburger was halfway to his mouth, but he hadn't yet taken a bite.

"It's really good; you should try it," I told him to end the awkwardness of the moment.

"Apparently," he said with a strangled laugh. "You must have been quite hungry." I could see him fighting a grin.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, and he exploded with laughter.

"Oh, oh, my God!" he managed to get out between chuckles. "You should have seen your face!"

I raised my eyebrow and placed the burger back in my mouth. I took a deliberate bite, just to tease him, and he only laughed harder. I could feel the juice from the tomato and the burger running down my chin, and I had to chew fast and swallow, before my own laughs caused me to choke. Edward handed me his napkin, and I wiped my mouth as daintily as I could. I was trying to regain my composure, but it wasn't working very well. Instead, I let my giggles run themselves out and wiped the moisture from my eyes.

Edward had taken several deep breaths and was chewing a bite of his food thoughtfully. As soon as he swallowed, he set it down and regarded me intently. "It was good, but orgasmic moaning good? I must not be doing my job right if that compares."

I choked on my French fry and spit part of it on the table. Edward was grinning at me, in that I-know-I've-got-you-there way. I just stared at him, part mortified that he had gone there in the middle of this . . . empty diner, and part terribly turned on. "Did you just? Wha—" I spluttered incoherently.

Edward just took another bite and ate his meal as if nothing untoward had passed. It took me several minutes to recover, but even when I did, I was still struggling to start a conversation. Finally, I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.

"You know, to know whether or not you're doing your job right, I think I need a little more for comparison."

This time, it was Edward choking on a French fry. "You want . . .? Wha-?" he stammered.

I grinned at him and popped a fry in my mouth.

He chuckled somewhat darkly and continued to eat his meal. When he had finished, he once again broached the subject of our appointment.

"Do you like her? Dr. Emundi, I mean. Are you comfortable with her?" he asked.

I tapped my fingers thoughtfully. "I do. She's a bit of an enigma, I think, being so . . . huge, yet warm and inviting." A thought occurred to me suddenly. "Are you? Comfortable with her?"

He grasped my hand and gave me a small smile. "I'm as at ease with her as I would be anyone, I think. I've never been one to talk much about my feelings, and I've done more of that with you in the past few months than I think I have my entire life."

My heart sank. I knew this couldn't work if we both weren't one hundred percent on board; Dr. Emundi had even made it a point of saying so while we talked. "Do you not want to do this?" I asked, and I knew that my tone sounded sad.

"Bella, I will talk to a million people if that's what it takes, no matter how much I dislike it. I want you. I want _us, _and I know that it's going to take more than you and me to heal the wounds I caused. Please don't worry," he said reassuringly.

"Okay," I whispered, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to form.

He stood, threw a couple of bills on the table, and led me back to the car. "Do you have big plans tonight?"

I laughed at the absurdity. "Does reading a novel count?"

"Um, no. That doesn't count," he said. "Are you ready to head back to the house? I don't know what all there is to do out here, but I wanted to spend a little more time with you."

I grinned at him, pleased that he seemed to want to be around me as much as I wanted to be with him. "Can we stop by the mall? Alice and I were going yesterday, but we got sidetracked. I just kind of want to window shop."

So we did. Edward parked by the enormous sporting goods store, of course, and we spent an inordinate amount of time wandering through the clothes, work-out equipment, and golf clubs. Finally, I was able to drag him into the main part of the mall, where we browsed through a store with high-end gadgets, a few clothing boutiques, and a bookstore. He had to bodily drag me from the last store and promised me a hot chocolate from Starbucks if I complied. Once, I thought I saw a man with black dreadlocks like the one in the picture Edward and Demetri had showed me, but I decided that it didn't matter. Edward was here with me, and he would keep me safe. Also, all he would see was Edward and me out having fun together like any other normal couple. And I thought that might work in our favor.

We goofed off so long that it was long past dinnertime when we rolled into the driveway. Instead of seeking out the family, though, like I usually did, we snuck upstairs together and collapsed on my sofa like teenagers sneaking back in after a late night out.

As our laughter subsided, Edward's expression turned serious, and he carefully covered my body with his. Before I could blink, his mouth was on mine, the pressure gentle, but wanting. My body rose to his like a cobra to its charmer, and my hands wove through his hair and anchored him to me. His silky tongue ran across my bottom lip, tasting, asking for entrance, and upon his command, I opened to him and greeted his tongue with my own. A bit of the hot chocolate he had stolen from me lingered, and I relished in the extra sweetness.

Edward's hands caressed up my sides, never stopping, but occasionally applying more pressure and holding me tighter. My leg hitched around his, aligning our hips in the most delicious of ways, and I could feel him hardening against my thigh. Each pass, his hands darted higher, until he gave up all pretense and took the weight of my breast in his large hand. I was sure that I moaned into his mouth, but as I wasn't really in control any more, I couldn't be sure.

Deliberately, Edward rocked his hips into mine as our kisses grew more passionate. Honestly, I loved kissing him, and I could have done that all night. But to add in the other sensations, it was overwhelming and more than a little pleasing. I was so distracted by the jolts of pleasure shooting down my body each time Edward lightly pinched my nipple, through my bra, that I didn't notice his other hand migrating from my hip to the closure on my jeans. Reason suddenly and painfully returned, and I quickly stilled his hand as he worked the button free.

Edward froze and pulled back, a look of fear and sorrow on his face. It was a stark contrast to his red, swollen lips. "Baby, I'm—" he started, but I placed my index finger on his lips.

"Shh. Just not tonight," I said with a slight wince. I didn't think this particular time of the month was a good time for him to try that again. The idea alone made me shudder.

My words, however, did not reassure him, and he looked like someone had kicked his puppy. I didn't really want to have to tell him why we had to stop, but it didn't look like there was going to be another option.

"This just isn't the best time . . . of the month," I hinted, and his eyes grew wide in understanding. I had just finished, but the idea weirded me out. An idea hit me, though, and I bit down on my bottom lip in my nervousness. "But that doesn't mean that you can't show me what _you_ like."

His mouth opened soundlessly and closed again. Finally, he said, "Baby, you don't have to do that," but even I could see that his protests were half-hearted. Besides, up until now, most of the pleasure had been for my benefit, and well, I wanted to give something back.

"I want to," I whispered, and then nibbled on his lower lip, letting go only to kiss his jaw.

Edward groaned deeply and threw his head back. With a little effort, he untangled his legs from mine and laid beside me. He continued to kiss me, holding my head with one hand and running his fingers up and down my arm with the other.

"Are you sure about this?" he murmured as he pulled away for breath.

I nodded shyly.

"If, for any reason," he continued, but I cut him off again, this time with my lips.

"Show me," I whispered.

Edward's lips met mine again in a fury. After a few moments of losing myself in him, the hand that was on my arm guided my hand onto _him. _He was hard and straining against the fly of his khakis. I pressed a little harder against him and was rewarded with a breathy moan. A few passes later, my fingers strained against his belt buckle, and I fumbled clumsily. Edward's sure fingers tangled with mine and unhooked it, clearly practiced. I pushed his hand away and slid the button through. A sigh of . . . relief, maybe . . . escaped from Edward's lips, and I pressed my palm into him and slid it up his length.

When the heel of my hand got to the elastic on his boxer briefs, I quickly dipped under them. Edward pulled my face back to his and kissed me like he never had before. It was hungry, wanting, and joyful all at once. With my free hand, I shoved his boxers down as well as I could and took him in my hand. It was heavier than I'd expected, firm, yet soft and silky. Tentatively, I ran my fingers over his erection, feeling the ridges and the smooth skin, just exploring.

"Show me what feels good to you," I murmured against his lips.

He whimpered, but moved his hand to cover mine. He was shaking slightly. Slowly, oh so slowly, he stretched our fingers around his cock and wrapped them tightly around. He dragged our hands up and down, over the head, and back down. I tightened the pressure a little bit on the next pass, and with a gasp, his hand let go, and I pumped up and down.

"Oh, baby . . . just like that," he moaned. His head fell back into the crease between the arm rest and the back cushions. His eyes were partially closed, and he looked so blissed out.

I watched my hand move over him, and for the first time, really got a good look at him. My first impression had been correct; he was long, thick, and . . . pretty. I hadn't expected that, but like the rest of him, even his cock seemed to be perfect.

At first, I worried that I was hurting him, because his cock was turning slightly purple. I loosened my grip a little; he groaned and covered my hand again with his, squeezing tighter.

"Don't. Don't stop," he whispered, and I kept going, pumping him.

I leaned up to kiss him. His tongue delved into my mouth, and it curled around mine, making me feel loved while I loved him with my hand. It didn't take long for his cock to swell and twitch, covering my hand with warmth. He didn't stop kissing me, even when my hand stilled.

"That was . . . that was amazing, baby," he whispered against my lips. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you."

"I know. And you're welcome," I said with a grin. I understood why he enjoyed pleasuring me so much. Watching him in the throes of his orgasm made me feel powerful. It was almost as wonderful as being on the receiving end—almost.

Attempting to be discreet, Edward tucked himself back into his pants and winced slightly. "I'll be right back," he said and kissed my forehead. This time, though, I knew it wasn't because he didn't want to be here. The . . . evidence of his desire was all over my hand.

In moments, he returned with a warm washcloth and gently wiped off my hand. Once he was done, he pulled me to my feet and into his arms. He held me close to him and kissed the top of my head, then travelled down to my lips. This time, it was slow and easy—just us, together. Eventually, we got ready for bed, and I fell asleep with Edward curled around me.

Friday passed in a blur. Around eleven, my phone chimed with a text message.

_Movie night tonight in my room? Just us?_

I smiled at his thoughtfulness. I had expressed the desire that we live more like we had our own place, and he was trying to make that happen. Since we had been home, it did feel more like we were on our own. The rest of the family was always around, but they had been surprisingly easy to avoid.

_**I'd really like that, **_I sent back quickly, a smile on my face. Mentally, I ran through a meal that I could whip up for us to eat together in our rooms. The silly grin would not leave my face.

_You pick. I'll be done here around six. _

For the rest of the day, my mind raced through various ideas for the evening. Did I want to watch a romance? A comedy or action movie? Or did I want to appeal to Edward's inner geek with a Sci-Fi movie?

Dinner was an easy choice. I was going to order Chinese, so we could share Chow Mein noodles and Chicken and Snow Peas. It had always looked terribly romantic in the movies. He was going to be done around six, so I was planning our date around seven.

At six-fifteen, I went down to the kitchen for the Chinese take-out menu. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett were banging around, too, looking for something to eat. Edward walked in just after I did and put his hands on my hips.

"Oh, good, you're both here!" Alice exclaimed. "Let's order pizza and watch movies!" She seemed to have recovered from her sullen mood the other day.

I winced, knowing that we would probably get sucked in and all my planning would go to waste. This was what we usually did, though, so who was I to break tradition? Alice must have noticed something, because she gave us both funny looks.

"What? What's wrong?" she immediately demanded. "Edward?"

He held up his hands in surrender. "Nothing's wrong. We, uh, just already had plans."

She turned her puppy dog eyes on him and pouted her lip. "But you know you want to watch _Knocked Up_ with us," she wheedled.

Edward looked down at me and gave me a smile. "It's up to you. Whatever you want to do." His hands, however, told a different story. He was gripping my hips in his hands and pulling me flush against his body. It seemed that we both had the same idea.

I tore my gaze from his face and grinned at Alice. "Have fun! We've got plans!" I snatched the menu from the drawer and rushed from the kitchen, with Edward hot on my heels.

"Oh, thank God," he panted as we rounded the corner into the foyer. "What's the plan?"

"Chinese and a movie?" I said, holding up the menu.

"Perfect," he said with a smile.

I took his hand, and we walked up the stairs to his room while I called in our order. They said it wouldn't be here for thirty minutes, so in the meantime, I got out the movie I'd finally settled on and walked toward his study.

"Where are you going?" Edward called after me.

I held up the movie case and waved it, with my hand on my hip.

"The DVD player's in here." He motioned to his dresser, where, sure enough, there was the DVD player. The flat screen hung on the wall right over it. I didn't know why I hadn't noticed or thought about it. That meant—I glanced around the room—we'd have to sit on the bed.

He must have noticed where my gaze landed, because he was quick to input. "We don't have to watch up here if you don't want to. I mean, we can make them go to the basement, or we can go to your room," he suggested.

"I don't have a TV," I told him. "But I don't mind, if you don't mind us eating in your bed." Images of what we could do in that bed invaded my brain, and my eyes glazed over.

He disappeared into the bathroom, came out with a large white towel, and spread it over the bed. "There," he declared. "If we make a mess, it's easy to clean up. What are we watching?"

"A movie," I teased, holding it just out of his reach.

With a sly smirk, he slowly stalked across the room like a lion and I was his prey. I jumped and scooted backwards. His forward motion didn't slow, and with a laugh, I scampered around the end of the bed and climbed over it in a bid to get away from him.

His answering rumble shocked me with its closeness, and he tackled me onto the mattress. "Just where do you think you're going?" His breath was hot against my ear.

I shivered in reaction, and I could feel his entire body against mine. I felt a warmth flush through me, and I sighed.

His lips closed over my earlobe, and my hips pushed up against his. The warmth of his mouth heated my ear, and in turn, the rest of my body. I was practically shaking in anticipation, when I felt a strange buzzing.

I pulled back, horrified. Had he really gone through my drawers and gotten out my vibrator? The shock must have shown on my face, because he was instantly contrite and concerned. He reached into his pocket, and then held his hand out to me while he answered.

And didn't I feel stupid. I closed my eyes and felt my face heat. I tried to hide from him, but he was quick to pull me back.

"What is it? What did I do?" he asked urgently.

I shook my head, not wanting to admit to my thoughts.

"Bella?" He sounded so scared and unsure that my head shot up. "Please tell me what I did."

"It wasn't you. It was the phone. It . . . startled me. That's all. I'm fine, I promise."

Edward didn't look like he believed me, but he let it go. "That was Demetri. The delivery guy is here with our food. I'm just going to go get it."

While he went downstairs, I put in the movie and got it cued up. I was sitting on the bed, wielding the remote, when he brought back the paper bag with delicious aromas wafting from it.

He gave me a tentative smile, and I returned it with a big one of my own, so that he would know I wasn't upset at all. I felt stupid, but I wasn't going to tell him what I was thinking. We dished out the food while we watched the previews and started eating as Sandra Bullock came on the screen.

His Chow Mein smelled really good, so I stuck my fork in while his was out and grabbed some. He laughed and pretended to stab my hand with his fork, but I just stuck out my tongue and made a show of chewing. He smirked at me and took some of my chicken and three snow peas in one bite.

"Are you planning to eat them all?" I accused, pretending to be offended and throwing one at him.

He opened his mouth to retort, and then promptly shut it. "No," he finally answered.

"What were you going to say?" I asked suspiciously. I lightly tickled him, and he jerked away like I'd burned him.

"Not if you'll let me eat something else," he blurted out. Instantly, he clapped his hand over his mouth, and his eyes got really wide.

Speechless, I just stared back at him.

"Uh, shit, sorry, that just, just kinda came out," he offered lamely. He was still completely shell-shocked that he had admitted what he wanted to do, and I was stunned that he wanted to do . . . that.

Instead of responding, since I didn't know what to say, I just nodded and turned back to the movie. I thought if I just pretended that he didn't say it, that we could go with that. I was wrong.

The comment rattled around in my brain. It popped in every time he stole a piece of chicken—he avoided the snow peas—and by the time, Sandra and Ryan were in Canada, I was seriously thinking about it.

"Do you really want to do that?" I asked, out of the blue for him, since we had been watching the movie without speaking.

It must have been on his mind, too, because he didn't need an explanation. "Yeah." He seemed wary to admit it, but it was definitely the truth.

"Why? I mean, doesn't it taste gross?" I asked, starting to ramble.

He placed his fingers over my mouth to stop me before I got started. "I am positive that you would be exquisite." His eyes were aflame with desire. While I didn't understand it, he certainly seemed to want to.

While I processed his words, Edward put all of our food on his nightstand. I hadn't had a chance to move, when he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pressed his lips hungrily to mine. I opened immediately to allow him access to my mouth and eagerly kissed him back. I didn't care about air, just his lips on mine and the way he made me feel.

Eventually, I got a little lightheaded and pulled back to breathe. Edward's chest was rising and falling heavily, but he continued his ministrations on my skin. My neck and collarbone were showered in open mouthed kisses, and occasionally, he would suck the skin into his mouth, making me tingle between my legs.

My hands were trembling, but I leaned back and tugged the bottom of my shirt over my head. He followed suit, and when he pulled it off, his eyes zeroed in on my barely covered breasts. Edward gaped at me and lifted his hands in wonder. My new lavender bra set seemed to be as enticing as the saleswoman promised. Edward's hands slowly lifted and ghosted over the satin and lace.

"Wow," he mumbled, his eyes fixed on my breasts. Without warning, he slipped the cup down and ran his thumb over my bare nipple. The combination of the cold air and his touch sent me into overdrive. I clutched his head and pulled him back to me. I needed to feel him, kiss his mouth, to make this real.

Edward guided us down onto his pillows without breaking our kiss, and his hands roamed between my neck, back, and chest.

"I can't decide whether I want to take this off so I can see you without it, or to just admire the view and move it aside," he said huskily. As his hands slid to my back again, I rubbed my chest against his, seeking friction and the sliding of skin against skin.

"Fuck, leaving it on," he groaned as his hands fell from the bra clasp. He grabbed my ass and pulled our lower bodies together, his hips fitting perfectly against mine.

I ground against him, the want in my body driving all my actions. I unbuttoned his pants, not wanting even more material in the way, but I couldn't tug them down with one hand, and he was too busy trying to get into my pants to help me with his own.

His head dipped down, and I could feel him sucking on my nipple through the thin satin. The air cooled the material as he switched his ministrations to the other side. Spikes of desire shot through my body and coiled between my legs.

His hand hovered at my hip, just inside my waistband. "Are you still . . . off-limits?" he asked huskily, and I knew that he was hoping I would say no.

I shook my head.

"Thank Christ," he groaned and pulled my jeans down over my thighs.

The scraps of fabric that I called underwear were still covering me, but barely, and I registered a bit of embarrassment through my haze of lust. The only time we had gone this far, I had been completely covered by our blankets, and I wasn't sure that I was ready for him to see me fully nude. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered when the last time he saw a woman naked was, but I pushed it away, because I didn't want to go there right now.

"Wait," I muttered, and my face flamed as I took in his body and position. Edward was shirtless and hovering over my legs. His pants were undone, and his hair was a riotous mess from my hands. My jeans were still wrapped around my lower calves, and I was trying to cover myself with my hands in vain.

Edward immediately stilled his efforts and crawled back up my body, so he was laying partially on me and looking me directly in the face. It heated more as I realized I was now going to have to explain this to him.

"Too far?" he asked gently. I could sense his disappointment, but his desire for me to be happy overshadowed that need.

"No," I hedged. "I feel really . . . exposed." I shrugged to indicate my discomfort. To his credit, his eyes never wandered from my face, though his hands were still running lightly over my skin.

"Exposed?" he asked, surprised. "What can I do help you feel better? There's a throw at the end of the bed, or we can get under the covers? Or we can back up?"

His genuine offers surprised me a bit. I guess a part of me thought that he would try to talk me out of feeling this way. I didn't think he would disregard my feelings on purpose, but I didn't expect him to try to cater to my insecurity. That gave me the courage to meet him.

"The blanket?" My voice kind of squeaked as I spoke, but it didn't faze him.

I watched as his muscles rippled underneath his skin while he lifted himself, turned and fanned the blanket out over us. As soon as the light-weight throw settled around my form, I felt a little lighter. There was something so intimate about what we were doing, and the glaring lights had made it feel less, somehow. Now that I was more concealed, I felt like a sneaky teenager, but it also felt more . . . right.

Like he'd read my mind, Edward slipped out from under the blanket and padded over to the light switch. The light from the television flickered around us, but it was almost like candlelight. When he returned, he lay down next to me and propped his head on his arm. His hands immediately sought out my body, as if he couldn't bear to not touch me.

"Better?" he asked softly, while brushing the hair away from my ears.

"Yeah, I think so." Dr. Emundi had said that it was important for us to convey all of our feelings to each other, and this was a perfect time to do that, even if I felt silly. It wouldn't help us move through it and be able to be more intimate if I didn't speak up. "I just felt really self-conscious."

Edward cocked his head slightly, and his brow furrowed. "Why?"

"I was practically naked!" I cried, mortification over-ruling again.

He growled. "I like seeing you practically naked." Edward's hand was stroking just below my breast again, and I unconsciously pushed my chest up a little to further the contact. "I think you like it, too," he breathed into my ear. His mouth was on my ear again, and I tried to shift for some friction.

My jeans were still binding my calves, though, and restricted my movements. I kicked my feet wildly, trying to dislodge them, as Edward's hand finally covered my breast and massaged it. He laughed a little at my antics against my ear, but resumed his kissing of my neck instead of mentioning it.

Once they were free, I kicked my jeans to the end of the bed and turned my body slightly toward Edward. I wanted to feel his body against mine again. The feelings he elicited were like a drug to me, and I wanted more, more, more.

Edward's hands flowed over my body, while his lips covered my neck, jaw, and collarbone with affection. His lips moved back to my mouth as his hand inched lower. Slowly, giving me time to stop him, he slipped underneath my waistband and ran his fingers through the short hair covering my sex. It was electrifying. I moaned into his mouth, and he pushed his fingers through my lips. It was good before, when we were at my parent's house, but now, in the privacy of our room, where I had no fear of being overheard, well, it was fantastic.

Edward kept it lighter, though, despite how much I tried to push against him. I groaned in frustration and pushed into his hand hard, causing his finger to slip into me. He whimpered against my mouth and pulled his lower body away from me slightly. At the same time, I felt the emptiness as his hand left me and the elastic snapped back against my belly. Instead of reconnecting with my body, though, his hand came out, and he broke away from our kiss.

"What are you doing?" I whined. I really liked what we'd been doing and I didn't appreciate his teasing.

He smirked. "I'm tasting." Edward slipped his middle finger into his mouth. At once, his eyes closed, and he moaned. "_You _are exquisite," he sighed when he had licked his finger clean.

I grimaced. The whole idea was fairly strange to me, and I didn't understand why he wanted _that _in his mouth. He didn't back away, though, pressing his lips to mine, instead. The fingers that had just been in his mouth moved the cup of my bra away and pinched my nipple. My mouth popped open against the feeling, and he took that opportunity to plunge his tongue in. It only took a few seconds to realize that my . . . juices were there, too. In addition to his normal sweetness and the hint of Chow Mein was a slightly musky and sweet, but not unpleasant, flavor. It wasn't what I expected at all—not that I knew what that was.

Edward shifted slightly so that he was hovering over me. His hand started roaming again, and my breasts pressed against his chest while we kissed. I pressed my head to the side and sucked in a huge breath. He moved down my neck and captured my bare nipple with his teeth, lightly nipping and sucking. I was moaning loudly, and I knew it—I just didn't care. It all felt _so_ good.

My right leg hitched over Edward's side as he pressed his abs against me—there—and my head fell back in ecstasy at the friction. My nipples, already peaked from his attentions, hardened further as the cold air hit them, and Edward's lips trailed down my stomach. He tugged at the side of my panties, and I could feel them sliding down.

"What?" I asked, almost incoherently.

"Please, baby," he practically begged. "If you don't like it, or want me to stop, all you have to do is tell me and I will, but _please_."

I lifted my hips and allowed my underwear to leave my body. The self-conscious feeling returned in full force, and I crossed my arms underneath my breasts, curling in on myself.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmured and ran his warm hands down my sides. He gripped my hips and leaned in.

I closed my eyes tightly and braced myself. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the way his tongue felt in my slit. It was incredible.

All the tension in my body uncoiled immediately, and my arms fell to my sides. Gently, he licked me, savoring, tasting. His finger circled my entrance and pushed into me slowly while he licked my clit. It was bliss. All too soon, I felt another kind of tension building, and my fingers unclenched the blankets and wound into his hair.

He hummed and moaned against me, and that was my undoing. I screamed out his name and pulled on his hair in my pleasure. He slowed his ministrations, but didn't stop until I was spent and jelly-like on the bed. He placed a final kiss on me and crawled up my body, placing random kisses as he rose.

"Did you like that, baby?" he asked playfully, no doubt thinking of my earlier freak-out.

"Yeah," I said, a lazy smile breaking out uncontained over my face.

"Good."

He lay down next to me and wrapped me into his waiting arms. I moved my knee and felt that he still had a rather large problem. Idly, I wondered what I could do to take care of it for him, and my hand trailed down through the hair underneath his navel.

"Ah, Bella, you don't have to," he muttered, but as it was last night, it was half-hearted.

I slipped my hand into his underwear and found him, already hot, heavy and eager. He shimmied his pants down and leaned back as I started pumping him like he'd showed me. He moaned and thrust his hips up in time with my hands. I leaned over to kiss him, and as soon as I sucked on his tongue, he exploded all over our stomachs and my hand. It wasn't until I shifted and grabbed our dinner towel to clean us up that I realized we were both mostly naked on the bed.

My breath caught, and I froze. Since my hand was halfway to his body, it didn't escape Edward's notice that I was no longer moving. Gently, he removed the towel from my hand, wiped me off, and then took care of himself. Then, he jumped out of bed, shoved his pajama pants on, and brought me a large T-shirt from his drawer.

"Here," he said quietly as he handed it to me. He flicked off the television—_The Proposal_ had ended long before—and pulled back the covers of his bed.

I finally found the will to move and raced to the bathroom, my mind reeling.

The crazy part of my reaction was that I didn't feel any sort of negative reaction to being naked on a bed with him. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Fantasies raced through my brain of us tangled together under the gold comforter, and me taking him into my mouth instead of using my hand. When the last thought rooted in my brain, I thought of Tanya and what I was sure were her substantial skills, and I felt small and inadequate. At the same time, I was certain that Edward had a visceral reaction to the sight of me and to my touch. He wanted me. I wanted him. And I didn't know how much longer I was going to be able to hold out in my fear.

Because in that split second, I realized that Alice was completely right. I was petrified. Edward would never hurt me, and I knew that. Given his sexual history, I was positive that he wasn't going to compare our love-making to any of those experiences, but I had no frame of reference. That, and he was _huge_. I mean, my vibrator always felt like a tight fit, and it was nothing in comparison.

"Bella?" Edward called softly through the door.

"Um, I'm fine," I said in a suspiciously high-pitched voice. "Just give me a second to brush my teeth."

He was waiting right outside when I stepped back into his room, and he grasped my hand and helped me into bed. There, lying side by side, I could see the worry in his eyes.

"It was too much, wasn't it?" he asked without preamble or judgment, my hand still firmly incased in his.

I shook my head. He wasn't going to let it go. "No, that's not it. Not at all. Please don't think that," I begged.

"What am I supposed to think, Bella? You completely freaked-out. Maybe it was too soon. We just had our first appointment with Dr. Emundi, and I just pushed too hard. I'm sorry, sweetheart." He gulped and looked down, unable to meet my eyes.

Guilt washed through me. He was taking it all on himself, and this one was firmly on me.

"Don't do that," I whispered. "You didn't do anything wrong, Edward. In fact, that, what you did, was incredible." I pulled out the last bit of courage that I had and tilted his head up to look at me. "I just realized that we were both almost naked. I'm . . . I'm scared. I mean, I already know that I probably won't be very good, and that the first time will probably hurt, but you expect that, too, but—"

He cut me off with a kiss. "When we make love for the first time, it will be wonderful, because it's us. To be honest, I'm a little nervous, too, but I'll do my best not to hurt you, and we'll take it slow, okay? Whenever _you_ are ready."

I nodded, only slightly reassured, but also mollified that I wasn't going to be pressured into taking that step. It wasn't that I thought he would, but my own body was pressuring me into giving in each time we touched.

Tonight, though, my hormones and fears were sated. I was able to scoot into his arms and sleep, cradled by the man I was falling in love with.

**Okay! There are more notes here because I'm feeling verbose today. Thank you to whoever nominated for the Walk of Fame awards. TAM is in there and I am too for an author award. There are lots of wonderful stories and I'm honored just to be listed among them. Go. Vote. Show some support for some great stories. **

**Here's my rec for this week. Committed to Memory by krismom is vastly underappreciated and is one of the most touching stories I've read in a LONG time. I know you like angst if you are here, so check it out. There's a lot of sweet too, but take the tissues with you. **


	20. Chapter 20: Harsh Words

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable elements belong to their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, and I own this story. Please don't use it without my permission. **

**A/N: Thank you to everyone that helped me with this chapter. Riss usc_mam is a great pre-reader, Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy make magic with their beta skills and swimom7, javamomma0921, and littlecat358 are always there to help me through the tough passages. Thank you all. More words below!**

**Chapter 20: Harsh Words**

**EPOV**

Almost two weeks had passed, and Bella and I had fallen into a comfortable routine. I had talked to each member of the family and asked that they start to treat the wing that Bella and I lived in as a separate home. We needed our own space, and they agreed to give it to us. Mom even admitted that she had been embarrassed to have interrupted our intimate moment and had thought that some new ground rules were needed. Slowly, we were all adjusting.

On the weekends, we alternated between doing things as a family and spending time just with each other. We hadn't gone as far physically as we had on the night she'd admitted her fear, but we were spending more time exploring that part of our relationship. I spent a lot of time waiting for the other shoe to drop, for my history with Tanya to explode in my face again. When we went to see Dr. Emundi, I expressed that in our one-on-one session, and I knew that she was planning to address that part of our relationship this week. We'd had to schedule our appointment early, because with Thanksgiving on Thursday, she would be out of the office eating turkey with her own family.

Dad and I had also been anxiously awaiting the call back from the bank manager with the account information for our thief. Between the sheer volume of paper involved and the lack of manpower available, it was taking longer than either of us had anticipated. Because of privacy laws, we had been forced to get the police involved. Eleazar hadn't been happy, and the telephone yelling match between Eleazar and Carlisle could be heard clearly from my office.

There hadn't been much activity from Windemere, either. Several times, I saw people watching Bella while we were out, but I was unable to tell if they were tailing her, or if was because it was impossible not to notice her. She had only gotten more confident as the weeks progressed, and it made her even more stunning.

Demetri was bringing Bella to our four o'clock appointment, because she'd had a meeting with her advisor at school. We had looked over our finances together and chosen the best way for us to pay for her education, without dipping into her trust fund or our investments. With pride, she had a check with her to pay for her first semester's tuition, and she had been really excited about it. I hadn't been able to go with her, because I had another meeting, and I was anxious to see her again.

She hopped out of the car with a huge smile on her face and ran straight for me. I opened my arms for her, laughing at her enthusiasm.

"I did it! I officially paid for my schooling!" she crowed.

"I'm proud of you," I told her with a grin, giving her a quick kiss. Even my worries about this appointment couldn't dull the happiness she brought me.

She grinned and pecked my lips. "Let's do this! I have a dinner to cook." She linked our hands and we strolled into the building.

Dr. Emundi smiled at us both as we entered with our smiles still on our faces and our hands joined. "Well, it seems that things are well today!" she said, her accent more pronounced than usual.

Bella shrugged happily. "I just paid for school, Thanksgiving is Thursday, and things are going well."

I smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"I'm glad to hear that. We're going to do things a little differently today, if that is good for you. We will spend all of our time together and talk about some issues. Is that good for both of you?" Dr. Emundi asked.

Bella nodded, but her smile had slipped a little.

"Edward, would you please share with Bella your worries about her?"

I turned to Bella, still holding her hand, and took a deep breath. "We haven't talked about it in a while, and with our relationship . . . growing, I'm, uh, a little, um, concerned . . ."

"About how your affair is going to affect me?" Bella finished for me, in a kind, but slightly exasperated tone.

I furrowed my brow and nodded slightly.

She twisted her face around a bit as she thought about what to say, and she clearly addressed both me and Dr. Emundi when she spoke. "I've had a lot of time to think about it, probably too much, and . . . Oh, I don't know. _We_ are so different now, and you are completely different with me. I'm not sure I'm going to be going down on you or having sex with you on a couch any time soon, though. I thought about it the other night, and I just couldn't make myself do it."

And even though the man in me died a little, the husband in me responded, "And you never have to if you don't want to."

"You'd enjoy that, though," Bella argued.

I sighed. "Bella, if it made you uncomfortable, I wouldn't enjoy it."

"So, are you thinking you've forgiven him for his transgressions?" Dr. Emundi asked. There was no surprise in her voice, only question.

"For the affair? No, but I'm getting there. There's still a lot I have to deal with, and there are times when we are more . . . naked that I have trouble. Sometimes, my mind wanders away with images of them together, even though I know that they aren't realistic. Mostly, it's his lack of faith that still bothers me. That I was so easily set aside for so long," she explained.

I wanted to vomit. I'd known that it bothered her, but I'd had no idea how much.

"Edward, I know that you all have talked about it in the past, but why don't you tell _me_ why you thought it was necessary to keep that distance between you," Dr. Emundi coached.

I cringed. "She was fifteen when we got married. I'll never regret marrying her, but I do wish we'd been able to wait until she was a little older. I felt like such a pervert for wanting my wife the way I did. She was so young. I thought it would be better for both of us if I just stayed away for awhile."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I see. When did you become sexually active?"

I winced. "Sixteen."

"How would you describe your early sexual experiences?" Dr. Emundi asked.

How would I describe those? I sat in silence, lost in my own head. I thought back to my thoughts and feelings of those first tentative touches, and then my disastrous experience with Danielle.

"Humiliating."

Bella's head whipped toward me in surprise. Dr Emundi looked a little smug.

"Do you think that had something to do with your desire to wait?" she led.

I glanced at Bella and rubbed my thumb across her knuckles. "I never thought about it like that. Maybe." It was somewhat a relief to have a reason for my actions.

"Why did you feel like you needed to fully separate yourself from Bella? Why not develop an emotional relationship, and then add a physical one when you were both ready?" Dr. Emundi posited, clearly trying to steer the conversation.

I felt trapped. "Because I knew I would want both, and I was afraid!" I jumped from the chair and started pacing near the bookshelves. I didn't know how else to express myself. When I thought back to our wedding night, the terror of taking a little girl's innocence, and the real desire to feel her against me raged in my mind, and I was flooded with shame.

"Edward, this is a safe zone. Please come sit with us and talk about this," called Dr. Emundi.

I walked closer, but I couldn't bring myself to sit down. Instead, I curled my hands over the back of couch and leaned onto my arms. "What do you want me to say? That I was ashamed of myself for wanting her? I was. And every time I talked to her, it only made the shame and the desire worse."

Bella just watched me with wide eyes. Her eyes were a little wet, and I felt horrible for upsetting her. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know how. Dr. Emundi talked to Bella for a few minutes about how hearing that made her feel and if it changed her view of my behavior. She said that it did, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

We talked about the holiday coming up and our plans for the day. Dr. Emundi's family was in from South America to celebrate with her and her husband—any excuse to spend time with the kids, she said. Bella told her excitedly about the dinner that she was going to prepare with my mother; her parents would also be coming to the traditional meal.

Dr. Emundi knew all of the details of my affair, so it was somewhat unsurprising when she brought up the next holiday we were facing.

"Given the connotations that Christmas now has for you all, what are your plans to mitigate the stress this year?" she asked me.

I tensed, and Bella stared determinedly at her hands. Giving in to Tanya that night had not only been foolish, but now my favorite holiday would be forever tainted by it. I wanted Bella to enjoy it this year, not live in the shadow of my failure.

"I thought we might spend it with Bella's parents this year, if they'll have us," I answered softly.

Bella immediately relaxed and stared at me curiously. "That's really sweet, Edward. Of course they'll have us. I'm sure my mother will be thrilled!"

I winced. "Yes, your mother will be thrilled to have _you_ there. Me, she doesn't like so much."

Dr. Emundi appeared to be surprised, and Bella turned abruptly to face me with an incredulous look on her face. "Where ever did you get that idea? She was perfectly nice to you when we were at home!"

"You didn't hear her, Bella. 'I don't like it, Charlie. He's not good for her; I've never seen her so unhappy. We never should have forced her to marry him; she doesn't love him, and why would she? I wish we'd never sent that damn picture to the Cullens!'" I mimicked angrily, recalling perfectly the words I'd overheard while waiting for my wife to finish getting ready. I hadn't been able to hear Charlie as well, as his voice wasn't as shrill as Renee's when she was upset, but if he'd been disagreeing with her, he wasn't successful in changing her mind.

"She didn't say that! When would she have said that? It's not like you were alone . . . with . . . them . . ." Bella trailed off as she realized what she was saying. "When you were waiting for me, before we went to the antique mall," she said quietly.

I nodded slightly, confirming her suspicions. "The whole weekend was strained, but at first, I thought it was because it was our first trip there, and it had to be weird for her to see her daughter as a grown woman. Then, I heard that, and I realized that _I_ was the problem. Later, after we saw James and before we went upstairs, she made some comment about me not taking care of you well enough if this guy had gotten that close."

"Shit!" she exclaimed. "How could I have been so blind to that? What do I do?"

Dr. Emundi chuckled at Bella's outburst. "Well, first, let's talk about her concerns. Are you unhappy, Bella?"

"No! Not at all. In fact, in the last couple of months, I've been happier than I've been in a long time."

"But you were unhappy when you went home the time before," Dr. Emundi clarified.

"Yeah, I just thought that she'd see this time was different. That we're a unit now," Bella said morosely.

"Have you talked to your mother during this interim period? Has she heard the changes in you?" Dr. Emundi said, delving more deeply.

"Um, no?" Bella answered weakly. "I don't talk to her much."

Dr. Emundi gave her a knowing smile. "So, do you think that perhaps your mother isn't seeing the changes and maybe thought it was more of an act? We mothers don't like it when our children are hurting."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess this means I have to call her more often?" Bella sounded very reluctant to have to do so.

Dr. Emundi and I both laughed at her aggravation.

Bella groaned. "You've never talked to my mom. It's impossible to keep her on track! One second, she'll be telling me how to write thank you notes, and the next, it's all about her new car," she whined.

"I would suggest setting aside some time to talk to her when she gets here for Thanksgiving. This is a better conversation to have in person, if you can. Make sure that she knows how you feel and what you want," Dr. Emundi advised. "And Edward, I think changing the venue is a good start, for at least part of the holiday. I do want you all to face the past, though, so I would advise spending some time at home."

We both agreed, and Dr. Emundi reminded us to talk to each other throughout the weekend, since we wouldn't be seeing her for a longer stretch than normal. She also encouraged us to call her if we found we needed it, since Thanksgiving was where it had all started.

As we left, we were still hand in hand, but the mood was more somber than it had been when we walked in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella asked in frustration as soon as I sat down in the car. "About what my mom said."

I sighed. "It wasn't that I was intentionally keeping it from you, it just never came up. We were with them the rest of the day, and then the stuff with James happened. You were so upset, and it was more important to me to take care of you than to burden you with your mom's thoughts. I didn't really think too much about it until this week. They'll be here tomorrow, right?"

She nodded, still not looking happy about the situation. "We're supposed to go shopping with your mom, Alice, and Rose on Saturday. If she feels that way about you, it's going to be really uncomfortable."

"All you can do is take some time to talk to her when she gets here. I'll make sure you have time tomorrow night if you want," I offered.

She sighed. "Yeah, that would probably be best. Otherwise, it will be looming over my head all the next day. That also means that I'm going to have to do all my baking tonight and in the morning."

I didn't realize at the time what she meant by that. That night, as soon as dinner was finished, Bella retired to the kitchen and was still there two hours later when I went to find her. Her hair had streaks of flour in it, and there were two pie crusts resting on the counter, ready to be filled. The scents of cinnamon and apple wafted through the air from the oven, and my mouth watered in response. Another—already baked—apple pie was cooling on the stove.

"What are you doing?" I asked, shocked.

"Making pumpkin pie," she answered simply, as she poured the orangish-brown goop into the waiting dishes.

"But . . . you already made two apple ones."

"Three," she said off-handedly. "Tomorrow, I'll make the pecan pie and start on the bread, I guess. What time is it?"

"We need six pies?" I was still stunned and a little slow on the uptake.

She stared at me. "Have you seen Emmett eat?"

"Fair point. It's almost ten. How long do those need to bake?" I asked.

"Almost an hour," she sighed. "You can go on upstairs if you want."

I smiled at her. "Nah, I'll keep you company. What can I do to help?"

She glanced around at the oven. "Take the pies out and let them cool. I'll put these in."

I did as she directed, and then watched while she expertly maneuvered the two pie plates onto the rack. Once the door was closed on them and the timer set, we worked in tandem to clean up the flour spread all over the kitchen counter and floor. Most of her tools went into the dishwasher for cleaning, and I started it when the load was full. There were still twenty minutes left on the timer when Bella swiped the counters for the last time and dropped her cloth into the sink.

"Ah," she sighed, and her shoulders sagged. "What should we do now?"

I waggled my eyebrows. "I have a few ideas. Come here, and I'll show you."

Bella laughed, but stepped into my waiting arms. I cradled her cheek with my hand and pressed my lips to hers. It was the first opportunity I'd had to kiss her properly since our appointment earlier, and I needed it more than I'd thought. The slow movements of our lips quickly morphed into something more passionate, and our tongues tangled together eagerly. I pulled her tighter against me, and her hips ground against mine. With one swift move, I spun us around and lifted her onto the counter so our faces were more level. Immediately, she opened her legs, and I slid between them, never allowing our mouths to separate.

So lost in each other, the timer startled us both as it sounded through the silent kitchen. We broke apart, both breathing heavily, and Bella shakily crossed the room to pull out the pies. As soon as they were on the cook-top, I grabbed her hand and rushed back to our room.

My control was hanging by a thread. I wanted her—at least some part—so badly that I couldn't contain it. As soon as the door was shut and locked, she was back in my arms and her lips on mine. She shuffled me backward until I felt the bed hit me on my thighs.

I pulled away from her to judge her intentions. I didn't want our first time to be all about lust; even though it wouldn't be for me, she didn't know that yet. Truth be told, I wasn't sure I was ready, either.

"Need to feel you," Bella mumbled while kissing my neck.

I thought I was going to pass out from the sheer pleasure of her mouth against my skin.

Without thinking, I gripped her hips and lifted her onto the bed. She scooted back instantly, and I crawled up after her. As soon as I was close enough, she grabbed the bottom of my shirt and wrenched it over my head. My arms got tangled, the pause just enough to slow us down a bit.

Bella ran her hands down my chest and over my abs; jolts of pleasure shot through me, straight to my groin, making me even harder than I already was. I groaned at the pressure of my cock against my jeans and the sensation of her hands on me.

Not wanting to be the only one showing some skin, and really wanting to see Bella's breasts, I yanked on her shirt. Huge puffs of flour filled the air and covered us. We both started coughing and laughing, while waving the dust away. When it cleared, she was still clothed, her hair was white, and her face had white powder all over it.

Bella reached her hand up to my hair and stopped halfway. "Oh my God! At least now I know what you'll look like in twenty years! You're completely gray!" she laughed.

"Me?" I cried teasingly. "You'll make a gorgeous grandma one day." I batted away her hand as she tried to smack me, but it only dislodged some of the flour.

"I think we're going to need a shower," Bella said ruefully, once she finally stopped laughing. "I guess I'll be right back."

"You don't have to," I said without censoring myself.

Bella's brow furrowed. "What?"

I'd already put it out there. I could have backpedaled and told her to forget, but at that moment, I wanted her to know what I wanted.

"We could both use my shower."

The silence hung in the air for just a second. "But then it will take twice as long," she reasoned, still not catching on to what I was suggesting.

I felt like an idiot. She wasn't ready for this, and no matter how much I wanted to feel her body against mine and to see her, I couldn't force it. I shook my head. "Never mind. It was a stupid idea. Forget it." I started to climb off the bed, and she stopped me by laying her hand on my forearm.

"No, I won't forget it," she said stubbornly, suddenly serious. "Why would we both shower in here?"

"It's not important, Bella," I insisted, looking down at the floor and wishing for a hole to swallow me up. "I shouldn't have suggested it."

Her voice was steely, but I couldn't look. "Why don't you let me decide if it's important, Edward?"

"Jesus Christ, Bella," I said with exasperation. "It wouldn't take twice as long if we were in there together. That's what I was thinking. As I said, forget it."

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Oh."

She didn't sound upset, but I didn't dare look at her. I was mortified. After all we'd talked about to each other and in therapy, how could I have thought _that_ was a good idea? And on top of it, I'd lost my cool again, when she needed me to be strong the most. Why she wanted to keep me around was beyond me. I seemed to screw things up at all the wrong times.

The only sound in the room was our breathing, so it was somewhat of a shock when I heard Bella's voice. "Do you want to?" she asked quietly and tentatively.

What was I supposed to say? _Yes, of course I want to, Bella. I'd love to see your beautiful body naked under the water. _Yeah . . . that wasn't coming out of my mouth.

"If you want to," I managed to say as nonchalantly as humanly possible. "If not, it's all right."

"Have you ever done that before?" Bella asked curiously, and my head snapped up to look at her. She wore a teasing smile and no hint of the fear I'd expected.

I shook my head. "Nope. Have you?" I teased back.

"Oh yes," she said seriously, her eyes wide. She couldn't hold the giggles back, though, and soon, she was full out laughing at my expression.

I didn't waste a second. I leaned back, pinned her down, and tickled her until she cried out for mercy. Thankfully, the distraction worked wonders, and all of our awkwardness had dissipated.

Unfortunately, the plume of flour dust hadn't. We'd only made it worse.

"Come on," Bella encouraged, standing up and tugging on my hand. "Let's go get in the shower."

I followed her lamely as she trekked through her study and into her bathroom. There was no way this was actually happening. I had to be dreaming. She'd hit me over the head and knocked me out.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to join me in here?" Bella called, teasingly, from the huge shower. I hadn't heard the water start, but there she was, just behind that frosted glass, asking me to join her. Fuck.

I shed my clothes like they were on fire and placed my hand on the door. "Are you sure, Bella?" I asked. I knew this had to be a fantasy, but it felt right to be polite.

She groaned. "Get in here."

I didn't waste any time in opening the door. As soon as it closed behind me and I turned to face Bella, though, my knees got weak, and I could do nothing but stare.

There she was, my beautiful wife, with rivulets of water cascading down her back and over her very tight ass. Her long brown hair streamed down with the water, rippling under the water pressure. I could just see a hint of her breast under her arm.

Without permission from my brain, my feet strode forward, and I ducked under the spray with her, wrapping my arms around her midsection. Her breasts were tantalizingly close to my hands, but I didn't want this to be just about the physical. She was showing me an inordinate amount of trust by allowing me to be in here with her, and I wanted to worship her and prove to her that I was worthy of it.

I placed wet kisses on her cheek near her ear, while keeping my hips somewhat removed as best as I could. When I trailed down her neck, Bella pressed back, and her ass connected with my very hard, very eager dick.

"Ungh. Do you feel what you do to me, baby?" I groaned, and she moaned as she ground herself into me.

Now I knew I was dreaming. There was no way that this could really happen for me in real life.

Just in case I _was_ in the shower with Bella, I pulled away slightly and grabbed the bottle of shampoo in the corner. "Lean back a little, baby," I whispered as I poured a generous amount in my hands. I had no idea how much I needed to wash this much hair, so I erred on the side of caution.

Carefully, I ran my fingers through her hair and spread the shampoo through it, sudsing it up as I went. It wasn't as easy as it looked, because Bella had a lot of hair. I made sure that every strand got washed, though. She deserved to feel cared for in more than a sexual way. Once that was done, I ran the excess through my own hair quickly, before lathering up her lavender body puff with some citrusy smelling, red body wash in the back corner.

Shyly, Bella smiled at me and held out her hand for the puff, but I shook my head and kissed the tip of her nose.

"No, let me, please," I requested softly, not wanting to disturb the easy atmosphere.

Despite her apprehension, she nodded.

Tenderly, I washed her arms and stomach, ghosting over her breasts just to make sure they were clean. Her legs were more difficult to reach, so I got down on my knees to attend to them properly.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered as I rose and threw her puff in the bottom of the shower. I should have rinsed it, but I couldn't wait another second to feel her wet skin under my hands again. Along with the water, I managed to get all of the soap off of her.

"My turn," she said with a smile, and then pouted. "You already got your hair!"

"It's not about me, love. This was for you," I replied gently, holding onto her naked hips. It was a testament to how beautiful her face was that I was able to keep from gawking at the rest of her body.

She grinned. "And I want to return the favor." She poured the soap directly into her hands and ran them over my shoulders and down my arms. Each inch of my torso benefitted from her ministrations, and then she got my legs, too. Just her mere touch electrified my nerves and drove me to distraction. Her small hands ran lightly over my erection, and I groaned. If she hadn't been here, I would have taken care of it myself, but there was no way I was going to be so crude.

As it turned out, I didn't have to. She used the remaining soap as a lubricant and pumped me—cleaning me all over, she claimed.

"Help me," Bella whispered into my ear while kissing my neck. My right hand came up automatically and covered hers. Together, we worked to bring me to my climax.

Just as I felt the tightening explode, I bent down and kissed her hard. I let her hand go and snaked it to the apex of her thighs.

"Oh my God, you're so hot and wet, baby," I moaned as I felt her heat radiating onto my hand. In one swift move, I plunged two fingers inside her and quickly worked her into a frenzy. Her moans spurred me on, and I suckled on her nipple to bring her to the edge.

"Fuck! Edward!" she screamed as she clamped down on my hand.

I slowed my pace to bring her down and kissed her gently. There was nothing better in my estimation than bringing her pleasure.

We rinsed again, with me holding her up, because she claimed her legs wouldn't support her. Our lips also had trouble staying apart for long periods of time, so it took a little longer. Once we were out, I wrapped her in the fluffy towel she had hanging next to the shower and helped her dry off, while twisting my own around my waist.

Ten minutes later, we walked together back into my room and stopped dead in our tracks. Bella busted out laughing.

"I guess we're sleeping in my room tonight," she said through her guffaws. There were outlines of our bodies on the bed in flour and other random spots dotting the comforter. I was definitely going to have to take it to the dry cleaner.

"Go on over," I laughed. "I'll put some clothes on and meet you over there."

She was snuggled under the blankets and half asleep when I arrived three minutes later. I scooted in behind her, and she mumbled "Good night."

Completely at peace, I slipped into dreamland.

The next morning, Bella's side of the bed was already cold when the alarm went off. After getting ready for work, I found her in the kitchen, kneading a lump of dough. She said that she was making our bread for Thanksgiving dinner, but I didn't see why we couldn't just have frozen rolls and save her the trouble. Wisely, I kept those thoughts to myself and just noted that it looked very good.

"Um, Edward?" Bella called after me as I walked out with my cup of coffee.

"Yeah, baby?" I turned back to her with a smile.

She looked apprehensive. "I got a text from Mom a few minutes ago. They're going to be here around four, but I'll still be at New Horizons. Do you—do you think you could be there to meet them and get them settled?"

Internally, I grimaced. That would be awkward, to say the least. But for her, I would do just about anything. "Sure, sweetheart. Can you just tell her to text or call me when they get close?"

Her smile lit up her whole face, and she walked over to me. "Thank you," she whispered, kissing me chastely. It was the perfect start to my day.

My phone rang at three o'clock, and I briefly wondered if Charlie and Renee were early, before shifting it up to my ear without looking at the caller ID.

"Edward Cullen speaking."

"She's got at least one tail, Edward, and there's another one watching the house." Demetri's voice was firm and business-like, but it froze me to my core.

"Stay with her, Demetri. There's only one exit to the room they use, so keep an eye on it, and make sure she knows to keep away from the windows," I ordered. My nerves were getting the better of me.

"Yes, sir. Call Felix. He's on the gates. They must've been trying to lull us into a false sense of security, because I haven't seen anyone in weeks," Demetri said, clearly frustrated.

"I'll do it. Bella's parents should be here in the next hour or so. No detours on the way home, no matter what she says, okay?" Knowing Bella, she would remember something she needed and try to get Demetri to take her to the store on the way home.

I hung up and dialed Felix immediately, informing him of Demetri's observations.

"Yeah, it's a black sedan sitting across the street. There's a guy inside, but the windows are too dark for me to see who's in it. I've been keeping an eye on it for the last couple of hours. I'll call up if anyone comes to the gate," he promised.

My concentration was shot for the rest of the hour. I knew that Demetri would protect Bella with his life, but it wasn't enough, as that was what it might actually cost him.

Charlie called me when they were about fifteen minutes away, and Felix alerted me when they got to our gate. I was waiting in the foyer when they knocked.

"Hey, Edward," Charlie said jovially, reaching out to shake my hand. "What's with your man out there? He made me show ID to come up the driveway!"

"Windemere," I said simply. I figured I would tell him more later; I didn't want to overwhelm him as he walked in the door.

I turned to Renee and gave her as nice a smile as I could muster. "Hello, Renee. It's good to see you."

She smiled back politely, but it looked rather forced. "You, too, Edward. Where's Bella?"

"She's still at New Horizons and won't be home for another hour. We have the guest room all made up for you if you want to stow your luggage and freshen up," I prodded.

They were staying down the hall from us, which would be a little strange, but it wasn't much different than if we lived in our own small house. It wasn't like I would be able to put them in another wing there. As we passed Bella's room, Renee peeked in, noticed the decorations, and raised her eyebrow at me.

"And where do you sleep, Edward?" Her voice was sugary sweet and venomous.

Charlie glanced at his wife in surprise.

I hid my grin. "Most of the time, we stay in my old room, but the comforter is getting cleaned, so we'll be in hers until it's back. Here's your room," I announced, swinging the door open for them to enter ahead of me.

With promises to send Bella up when she arrived, I took my leave and went to see if Jasper was home yet. He had just gotten in the shower, so I chatted with Alice in her studio until he was done.

"What's up, big brother?" Jasper called from the doorway.

"I'm avoiding my in-laws," I told him honestly.

Jasper laughed loudly, and Alice giggled.

"Didn't they just get here?" he asked with a chuckle.

"All of about twenty minutes ago. Renee has decided that she hates me, so this weekend should be _really_ enjoyable," I said sarcastically.

He clapped his hand on my shoulder. "If it gets too bad, just give me a signal, and I'll play the emergency card."

As he usually did, Jasper lightened my mood. "Thanks, man. Don't be surprised if I take you up on that!"

I stayed with Alice and Jasper for a little while longer, and then wandered downstairs to greet Bella. I arrived in the foyer just in time to hear Bella lecturing Demetri.

" . . . and it can't be fake butter like margarine. I need the real stuff. Do I need to make out a list? It would have been so much easier if you would have just stopped by the store!"

I gave Demetri my most supportive look.

"I've got it, Bella. If I can't remember something, I'll call you from the store," he assured her.

She sighed in defeat and turned to me. "Hey, honey. Why can't I do my own damn grocery shopping?"

I chuckled. "Because Windemere's damn men are following you today. That, and your damn mother is here." I kept my tone teasing and light.

"Following me?"

"It's fine. There's one guy watching the house and one tailing you, that we know of. That's why Demetri stayed with you. I won't let anything happen to you, sweetheart," I soothed.

Bella shivered and stepped into my embrace. She laid her head on my chest. "Oh, okay. Have you had a nice visit with my parents so far?"

I leaned back and looked down at her like she was crazy. "I took them up and got them settled. They wanted to freshen up, so I left them to it."

She sighed and snuggled into my chest before breaking away. "I guess I'll go up and get them, then."

"Hey, Bella?" I called as she was walking away. She turned back to me. "Did you say something to your mom about us having separate rooms?"

"No, why?" Bella said in confusion.

I shrugged. "She just mentioned it, is all. I told her we were staying in your room until my comforter gets cleaned."

Bella laughed lightly. "Did that go out today?"

"Yeah, I had it sent out this morning. Because of the holiday, it won't be done until Monday."

She nodded, blew me a kiss, and headed up the stairs. I didn't see her again until dinner.

Dinner was our normal lively affair. My parents were glad to see Renee and Charlie, and they used the opportunity to catch up. We kids just cut up like we normally did, and the girls talked about their plans for shopping on Black Friday. After dinner, Bella squeezed my hand and disappeared into the kitchen. As soon as I could, I went to check on her and found her covering three trays of rolls.

"What are those?" I asked.

"Those are our rolls for tomorrow. They need to rise overnight, and I'll put them in tomorrow morning," she informed me. "Dinner is at one, so we'll have to get started early."

Unable to empathize, I just helped her finish covering the trays, and we set out the ingredients she would need for the next day. When we were finished, I held out my arm, and we headed upstairs.

"Mom said she wanted to talk for a little while. Do you mind?" Bella asked. "I'll probably miss our time this evening."

I kissed the top of her head. "Go spend some time with your mom. I'll be in your room, okay?"

She gave me that smile again—the one that melted me—and kissed me, before trotting off to our guest room.

It was already nine o'clock when I climbed into bed with my book. I propped myself up and lost myself in Middle Earth. I hadn't read _The Lord of the Rings _since I was a teenager. Yelling startled me from Saruman's betrayal, and I jumped from the bed.

Bella swung open the door, in tears, and slammed it closed.

"Babe, what happened?" I asked in alarm, rushing over to her.

When I got close, she collapsed in my arms, in hysterics. It didn't look like she was going to settle down anytime soon, so I picked her up and took her over to the bed.

"Bella, baby, talk to me," I begged.

" . . . bad choices . . . home . . . talk to her any more!" she wailed.

I didn't catch much of it, and she wasn't showing any sign of settling down, so I just held her and gave her a shoulder to cry on. Almost an hour later, her tears had slowed, and her breathing was hiccupped. She had cried herself to sleep. Carefully, so as not to wake her, I laid her head on her pillow and slipped off her shoes and jeans so that she would be more comfortable.

The next morning, I got up early with her and sat on the toilet while she washed her face and tried to reduce the swelling around her eyes.

"Baby, what happened last night?" I asked gently.

She sighed and shook her head. "My mother happened. Apparently, I've always been incapable of making responsible decisions, and I need to go home so she can make them for me."

"What?" I asked, trying to rein in my anger.

"Oh, let's see," she started, and the anger in her voice was evident. "Volunteering at New Horizons is a worthless pursuit, and if I wanted to get out of the house, I should have gotten a part time job, instead. I've apparently been ungrateful for all my parents have done to manage my affairs all these years. And she thinks that I'm so unhappy that I need to leave you, and come home where I can find myself."

I didn't even know what to say to that, but I didn't have long, because she started ranting again.

"As if she did such a great job helping me grow up when I did live at home. She couldn't even tell me why I was getting married at fifteen!"

"What did you say to her?" I asked, stunned.

She wheeled to face me. "I told her that I had no intention of leaving you, and that I was doing just fine without her. It went downhill from there."

I held out my arms to her, and she straddled my lap, resting her head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

She shrugged and took several deep breaths. "It doesn't matter," she finally said. "I have dinner to prepare, so that will give me something to focus on for the next few hours. What are you doing?"

"Watching pre-game coverage with the guys, probably. Come get me in the rec room if you need me?"

"Of course," Bella acquiesced. She kissed me and threw her hair into a ponytail, before heading out.

I showered and read a little more, before braving the kitchen for my morning coffee. Renee was attempting to help, and Bella was trying her best to keep her out of the way. I kissed her quickly and made myself scarce. Jasper and Emmett already had ESPN on in the rec room and were taking bets on how the day's two games would go. Charlie and my dad joined us in time for the talking heads to pick sides.

Charlie had taken the seat next to me, and seemed a little ill at ease, too. I decided to take this time to clear the air so that the rest of the weekend wouldn't be ruined.

"Hey, Charlie," I said quietly to catch his attention.

"Yeah, Edward," he answered with a smile.

"Were you in your room last night with Renee and Bella?" I asked.

His shoulders slumped, and he exhaled roughly. "Yeah, I was. I swear I don't know what's gotten into her."

I decided to be completely honest and lay it out on the line. "I don't, either, but whatever it is, it _needs_ to stop. We were going to try to come up to your house for Christmas this year, but I won't have Bella upset like that again. If this is how it's going to be, with Bella sobbing all night, we won't come. I can't do that to her."

His face turned steely. "And I won't have her mother's antics keep my daughter and son-in-law from spending Christmas with us. I promise you that it won't happen again. I don't know what happened between you and Bella back in September, and I've already told you that I don't want to know. But since then, I've seen a real change in her—for the better. I can tell that my little girl means the world to you, and that's all I've ever wanted for her. Renee will see it, too, or she can spend Christmas with _her _mother. And believe me when I say that she definitely doesn't want to do that."

"Thanks, Charlie. I don't want to cause problems, but it killed me last night to not be able to do anything and have Bella hurting like that," I told him.

He snorted. "I'll sort it out. You just let me know when you guys are coming, and we'll have a bed for you." He gave me a warm smile, and I knew that I had an ally in him.

**I am participating in the Fandom for Floods to help out all those Aussies affected by the record flooding, so be sure to check it out and help in any way you can. Also, if you haven't voted in the Walk of Fame Awards, check them out. Someone was nice enough to nominate me!**

**I have a few recs this week. All That Jazz by javamomma0921 is a fantastic period piece set in the early 20****th**** century. If you like historical Edwards, you have to check this one out. **

**The Art Teacher by spanglemaker9—Bella falls in love with Edward as a student, then he leaves. What happens when they find each other again years later?**

**First & Ten by Nolebucgrl—for those football fans out there! Edward is the Cardinals' star QB and Bella is a reporter. Will sparks fly?**


	21. Chapter 21: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

**BPOV**

I was thankful for the distraction that fixing a huge meal provided. After my . . . screaming match, if I were to be honest,with my mother the night before, I needed it desperately. I couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth. Edward had told me what he overheard, but I had been sure that he'd been mistaken or taken something out of context.

I'd been wrong. The vitriol that spilled out of her mouth about my husband, the life I was making for myself and my own decision making shocked me. It was like nothing in my life met with her approval and she was determined to tell me about it.

Of course, I probably hadn't handled it in the most responsible way. All the frustration and anger I kept bottled up inside poured out of me in a rush. I told her that she'd been a shitty mother, more concerned with her own activities to give a damn about me. I reamed her for marrying me off in the first place without telling me why and never bothering to make sure that I settled in. She'd gotten rid of me and gotten her life back. Now that I was older, she seemed determined to meddle and insert her own opinions whether they were welcomed or not.

Needless to say, I was no longer looking forward to spending an entire weekend with her.

Esme's main job was prepping the turkey. I hated sticking my hand in and pulling out all the insides, furthering my resolve that the medical field was not the place for me. We made small talk while she gutted it and I made the cornbread stuffing to fill it with, and when the turkey was safe in the oven, she patted my arm and went to prepare the table.

My alone time for reflection was short-lived. As if she was determined to make my life as miserable as possible, Mom came into the kitchen and pulled up a chair, preparing to stay awhile.

I was torn. Should I confront her head on, or deal with the creepy feeling of being watched and the claustrophobia of our argument hanging over us? After thirty minutes of charged silence, I'd had enough.

"What do you want, Mom?" I asked with a tense sigh.

She "hmphed" and I could almost hear her pursing her lips. "I thought the whole purpose of us coming was so that we could spend some time with our only child."

"I'd buy that if you hadn't made your opinion of that child perfectly clear last night," I retorted.

"Bella," she warned. I felt like a four year getting scolded again. This time, though, I wasn't four and I didn't have to answer to her. She was my mother, but I was a grown woman in my own right.

"No, don't you 'Bella' me. I heard you loud and clear last night, Mother." I rinsed the potato I was holding and set it on the cutting board before turning around. "What exactly did you hope to accomplish by telling me what a disappointment I am?"

She seemed to shrink in front of me. "Is that what you think?" she whispered. "That you're a disappointment to me?"

I rolled my eyes and turned to check the timer on the bread. It was almost time to pull it out of the oven. This conversation was going nowhere fast and this time, I didn't have the luxury of hiding in Edward's arms for several hours.

"I just didn't want you to think that this was your only option, baby girl. You can come home, if you want to. I simply want you to be happy!" she insisted.

I sighed. "The only thing I'm unhappy with today is you. I guess I made a mistake by coming to you when Edward and I were having problems. We're working on those together. You can't tell me that your marriage has always been picture perfect."

"No marriage is, but Bella, you all are so young to be dealing with trouble," she said worriedly.

"And our marriage isn't typical either. We've had more to deal with than most people do. Most people have spent more than three hours with their spouse before they get married. And, we've had a lot of steps to make up," I admitted.

She smiled, but it was watery. "When did you get so smart?"

"Eh, it's the therapy," I said off-handedly. As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized what I'd confessed to. I braced myself, waiting for the onslaught but it never came. In fact, the only sound in the room was my knife hitting the cutting board and my hands were faltering with that.

"What can I help with, Bella?" she finally asked quietly. Her voice sounded a little sad, but there was none of the ire I was expecting.

I turned and stared at her. She was still wearing what looked like a dressing gown and was fidgeting with the coffee cup now sitting on the table. It took me a few moments to find my voice.

"Uh, you, uh, can you make the sweet potatoes?" I asked, bewildered. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but that definitely wasn't it.

She gave me a tentative smile. "Of course. I can even do the little marshmallows."

We worked together, not talking about anything but the meal for over an hour. It was strained, but that was the best I felt I could ask for. Esme breezed in to check the turkey and joined us in finishing up the side dishes. We were closing in on dinner time and Islid the homemade rolls in so that they would be hot when I served them. Then, I ran upstairs to get cleaned up and make myself presentable.

With my parents as guests and the Spencers not here, the seating arrangement was quite different than normal. Someone had positioned the four parents on the far end and Edward and I were about as far from them as possible. Secretly, I was relieved that I wouldn't have to put on as much of a front during the meal considering I was exhausted from my crying jag the night before and from cooking all day.

Esme brought all the food to the table and I sank into my seat gratefully.

"You okay, baby?" Edward whispered when he leaned over to me.

I nodded. "Just really tired. Have you had a good day?"

He shrugged and smiled. "Yeah. I woke up with you, then I got to watch pre-game talk with your dad, my dad and my brothers. Thanksgiving doesn't get much better than that." He threw his arm around my shoulders and brushed his lips against the side of my head. I hummed in pleasure and gave him a small smile.

Carlisle interrupted us by clearing his throat. The table fell silent and all eyes turned to him. "Shall we say grace?" He held out his arms in a supplication gesture.

After he thanked God for each of us, and for the ability to be together on this day, he raised the knife and cut into Esme's turkey. With a cheer, Emmett reached for the stuffing and dumped a huge mound on his plate. When he did the same with the mashed potatoes, I wondered if he was going to need another plate. Thankfully, there was plenty of food for the rest of us and we ate until we were fully stuffed.

Rose, Alice and Esme refused to allow me to help clean up since I had done most of the cooking and they shuffled me out the dining room door. Edward was only too happy to grasp my hand and drag me to the rec room for an afternoon of football. The Cowboys game was exciting, but Alice drew my attention away when she, Rosalie, Esme and my mom entered with arms full of decorations.

"It's time!" she called out in a sing-song voice. The guys groaned and I sank into the couch, hoping to hide for a little longer. Alice couldn't be deterred, though. "Emmett, can you go get the tree and the ornament boxes? Jasper, I need the greenery, please. Edward, can you go get the snow globes?"

She was a freaking general and the guys didn't dare disobey. One by one, they stood, grumbling, and made their way to the attic. Then, she gathered the rest of us over to the pile in the center of the room. The mantle needed lighted garland, stocking holders and stockings for each of us. The front door needed a gigantic wreath, the hanger for which was on the floor. The entertainment center needed to be topped with more garland, Santa and his sleigh, and small figurines from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. There were bows for the staircase and special placemats for the table. Each of us took an area and got to work.

Dad shuffled over to where I was working on the mantle and he grabbed the end of the garland. Together we looped it over and around the stocking holders.

Dad cleared his throat. "Uh, listen, Bells. I'm sorry about your mom last night. I just, uh" –he rubbed his neck awkwardly—"well, I'm real proud of you. You've grown up into a beautiful and smart young lady. Edward told me you were thinking about coming for Christmas, and I'd really like it if you'd still consider it. I've missed you, Bells."

I hugged him as hard as I could. "Thank you, Daddy," I whispered, trying to hold back the tears. "I've missed you, too."

We returned to the mantle to dispel some of the tension. Dad was never comfortable with shows of emotion.

"Are you happy, Bells?" Dad asked while hanging up Emmett's enormous stocking. "I mean, does he make you happy?"

I thought back over the last few months and how much things had changed for us. I knew that we still had a long way to go before things were as they should have been all along, but it also occurred to me that perhaps neither of us had been in a position to handle an adult relationship two years ago. We were both working hard at it now.

"Yes, Daddy, he does," I said positively.

"That's all that matters, then." To him, the matter was now settled. Gone were the words that made me feel like an object and I wondered if he hid behind that decision because he was afraid that I was unhappy with the life he'd given me. Now that he knew I was in a good place, he was free to be the dad I'd always known again.

The guys barged in the room, huffing and puffing while carrying the Christmas tree. Alice flitted behind them, adding details here and there and requesting that they put it together so we could all decorate it together. With an exaggerated sigh, Emmett started heaving parts of the tree out of the box.

All of the men fit the pieces of the almost ten foot tree together while the women dug through the boxes, pulling out our favorite ornaments. With all five of them working together, it didn't take long for the tiny white lights to glow from the depths of the tree. Esme always had the honor of placing the first ornament on, and it was the same one every year.

"I know I tell this story every year," she started, as the rest of us groaned good naturedly. "This ornament was given to Carlisle and I on the day we got married. It was the start of our family and today, I officially start our Christmas season with it." She hung it near the top and backed away as her kids raced forward with ornaments that they had made over the years. There was a yellow and purple lopsided cat that Rosalie had made in preschool when she was four, a round ball with Jasper's seven year old face glued to it, and a picture frame ornament with a baby Edward screaming on Santa's lap among others.

"Do you know what this one is?" Edward whispered into my ear. His right hand was on my hip, anchoring my body into his, and his left dangled a bell in front of me.

I knit my brows together. I'd never seen it before. I shook my head and turned to gaze into his eyes.

"I bought it right after we got married to remind me of you. Will you help me put it on?" He looked so eager and it made me smile.

I joined my hand with his and together, we chose a branch and looped the ribbon around it. I didn't even notice that the room was full of people or that they were watching us. Nothing else mattered but the two of us and that moment.

It only took an hour to get the tree fully decorated with all the family's ornaments and the requisite tinsel. Through the rec room door, I could see that the banisters were already draped with greenery and bows and that there were little touches of Christmas scattered throughout the foyer.

I knew that over the weekend, Carlisle's Victorian village would finish taking its place on the large folding table that was now set up in the hallway. All of the linens in the main area of the house would be swapped out for the remainder of the holidays; the entire main area of the house would be transformed.

It suddenly occurred to me that Carlisle's skating pond needed a Christmas tree of its own and I knew the perfect one. "Wait!" I called to Carlisle as he tried to position the skaters on the blue glass that served as the pond. I ran up the stairs and into Edward's and my room where we had stashed the pottery we'd made on our date weeks ago.

With the tree safely in hand, I ran to find Edward so he could give it to his mom. "Hey!" I called when I saw him leaning against the wall in the front hallway. "I was thinking that this would look great in your dad's village. What do you think?"

His eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. "That's a great idea. Let me go give it to Mom first." He kissed me quickly and strode back into the rec room. I watched from the doorway as he pulled her to the side and bent his head to be closer to hers. Her hand fluttered up to her mouth and her eyes pooled with tears. She glanced between Edward's face and the paper wrapped package in his hand with an expression of awe, love and shock.

Gently, he pressed it into her hands and watched as she unwrapped it gingerly. The tears fell as soon as she saw his handiwork and Esme threw her arms around her son. With pride radiating from every pore, Esme marched past me and straight the Carlisle. Carefully, she moved the pieces away from the center of the park area and placed the Christmas tree right in the middle.

Edward sidled up beside me. I saw him glance up and then he ran his hand up to my jaw. Slowly, he leaned down and placed a gentle, but passion filled kiss on my lips. Though we had gotten much more physically affectionate in private, we were both usually much more reserved in public, especially around our entire family.

All those thoughts flew out the window though as his tongue swiped across my bottom lip. We were the only ones in the world at that moment. I was lost to sensation and the overwhelming love that was coursing through me. I was on the verge of pulling away to tell him just how I felt when I dimly heard a throat clear nearby.

Reality sunk in like a bucket of ice water and my face flamed. I pulled away from Edward and stared fixedly at my shoes. I heard a little bit of soft laughter around me and then I felt the pressure of Edward's fingers underneath my chin.

"Hey," he said softly. "Look at me, please."

I glanced up through my eyelashes to see him staring intently at me. His expression seemed intense and slightly worried.

"Are you upset with me?" he asked and I could see the fear in his eyes that he was trying hard to mask.

My head shot up. "For kissing me? No! I'm just embarrassed. I mean, we just gave them all a show!"

He shrugged. "So they all get to see how I feel about you. Is that really the worst thing in the world?" His voice was gentle and sincere.

"No," I whispered and once again, I was caught in his verdant gaze.

"Alice, do you know where the dishes are?" Esme called out as she strolled in from the kitchen. "They aren't in the box." My gaze drifted to her face just in time for her to take in our position and for a grin to break out.

Edward chuckled into my ear and turned me back into the rec room. Thankfully, Emmett and my father were the only ones still inside and they seemed determined not to mention our display in the doorway. We did finish emptying the rest of the boxes in record time though. We all hid from the rest of the family in front of the television to avoid the rest of the madness.

The next time I saw Alice, she was carrying a huge stack of newspaper. Rose, Esme and my mother followed behind her with pads of paper and eager expressions. I curled a little more deeply into Edward's side, but it didn't work. They still found me.

"Come on, Bella," Alice cajoled. "We have to make our plan for tomorrow."

I grumbled but slipped off the couch and onto the floor with the rest of the girls. For the next hour, we poured over the sale papers and decided which stores we had to be at and when. As I scanned them, I saw random things that I wanted to get and used the notepad my mother handed me to make notes.

"All right, so Renee, Bella and Alice will start at Target. The store opens at four, so you all need to be there by three," Rose instructed.

"Wait," Edward broke in. "Three A.M.?"

Rose gave him a look that clearly said, "Well, duh!" and turned back to the group of us. "Mom and I will start at Kohl's. We'll meet at the mall at five-thirty. It's ten now, so we should all probably get to bed soon."

"Demetri's okay with leaving that early?" Emmett asked, astonished.

Rose crooked her eyebrow at him. "Why would Demetri go with us? It's a girl's day."

"Uh, I don't know, the crazy ass stalker that's following her?" he retorted.

"We're going to the mall, and we're going to be with her all day. I doubt he'd follow her there anyway—there's going to be a million people there," she said.

"I don't like it," Charlie stated hesitantly.

"It'll be fine, Charlie," Renee placated. "I'll take care of her. Now, I'm going to bed."

Bed actually sounded good considering that I would have to get up in about four hours. I rose from the floor and swayed a little. I was more tired than I knew.

Edward grasped my hand, we called our goodnights to the room, and trudged up to our bedrooms. He disappeared through his door and I immediately went to my dresser and pulled out my tank top and shorts. As soon as I finished my nighttime routine, I collapsed onto the bed where Edward was already waiting. I curled next to him, into his arms, and let my eyes drift close.

"About tomorrow," he started.

My eyes opened a fraction and I looked up at him.

"Do you think one of Windemere's guys could find you in that mess?" he asked.

"That one with the dreadlocks saw us there a couple of weeks ago, so yeah," I muttered.

Edward sat up abruptly, dropping me onto the mattress. "What? What do you mean Laurent saw us? Why didn't you mention this, I don't know, then?"

"I didn't think it was important. I was with you. I was safe," I defended.

He grabbed me up and enfolded me into his arms. "You can't go tomorrow." He sounded pained and afraid.

"It's tradition!" I cried. "I have to go."

"Would it be cramping your style too much then if I decided to go with you?" Edward asked hesitantly. "I just want to keep you safe."

"You'd get up before the crack of dawn and shop with us all day?" I questioned.

He smiled at me. "Set the alarm, woman."

So, I did and we both fell asleep quickly. It wasn't quick enough, though, because I still didn't want to move when the alarm went off. It was only two in the morning and I needed coffee.

Edward provided. He met me in the foyer with two large, steaming travel mugs. His jeans were worn and he had on an old gray T-shirt underneath a blue button down. Despite his put together attire, he looked half asleep.

"Edward? What are you doing up?" Mom asked as she walked into the front hallway.

"Shopping," he answered shortly, sipping his coffee as if it was going to provide him with all the patience he would need for the day.

She gave me a confused look, but I just smiled sleepily and watched Alice and Jasper come to the front door.

"Are you heading over to the farm already?" Edward asked.

"Nope. Alice told me that I had to come shopping," he mumbled. "Is there any more of that coffee?" Even though he often got up early, he didn't look like he was ready to be awake either.

We all piled into Mom and Dad's SUV and we headed to Target. The line was already winding along the building when we arrived, so we bundled up in our coats and went to take our place. Within fifteen minutes, the grumbling began.

"Why are we here again?"

"Fuck, it's really cold out here. Can't we wait in the car?"

"Is it really necessary to be here so damn early?"

"What's so important that we have to freeze our nuts off to buy it?"

"This fucking sucks. James isn't going to be out here in this, dude. Even he's not this masochistic."

Mom, Alice and I just rolled our eyes at their complaints. We did this every year and it was always this cold. But they didn't know the half of it yet. As soon as the doors opened, the real craziness would begin. We were getting three of the TVs that they had on sale, a digital camera, some toys for the kids at the hospital, a few DVDs, pajamas, and some video game accessories. They had no idea what they were in for.

About three-thirty, the police officer in charge of crowd control got out of his cruiser. At a quarter til four, the line got restless. Edward and Jasper were hopping around, trying to keep themselves warm and the three of us girls were going over a map of the store that had been handed out. We needed to get at least three carts and get to the TVs first. Alice appointed her and me as the TV racers and instructed the other three to get carts "Or die trying."

As soon as the manager opened the doors, the melee began. Alice and I ran to the spot where the fifty inch televisions were stacked and we slid three of them into a pile. Seeing the size and thinking of our vehicle, I grabbed a fourth and guarded them closely. Edward sped through the bodies of people as fast as he could with his cart and single handedly loaded two of the TVs into it. When Jasper arrived, he put the other two into his cart. I called Mom's cell phone and found that she had gone straight for the movies. We decided to split up and meet in twenty minutes.

Edward and I took on the toys since we'd had the most interaction with the hospital and we carefully selected our items based upon age and ability to be kept clean. We might have gone a little overboard, because every available space in our cart was filled, but I figured that they deserved it.

Mom, Alice and Jasper had managed to scout out everything except the digital camera and I ran over to the electronics counter to pick it up. They required me to check out there, so I called the others and had them get in the electronics line. It was smaller than the main one, but it wasn't moving any faster. I watched our time closely, knowing that we were going to have to go back to the house and unload. There was no way we could leave the four televisions in the car at the mall and not expect trouble. That and there would barely be room for the five of us—and that didn't take into account all that we would buy at the mall.

Alice seemed to be thinking along the same lines as I was. "Okay, how about this? Renee, you and Edward drop us off at the mall and then take the car back to unload." They both leveled her with looks that left no doubt as to what they thought of that plan.

She backpedaled fast. "Or not. Crap."

Jasper whipped out his phone and dialed. "Emmett. Sorry, dude. We're actually out in this shit. It's worse. You have no idea. No, that's not why I called. I need a favor. Yeah. Get the keys to Dad's car and come trade vehicles with us. Just leave the shit in the back alone. Yeah, the mall. By Nordstroms? Thanks, man."

He smiled at us. "Taken care of. Now we just need to get out of here." Alice beamed at her husband.

Checking out was an ordeal. We switched stuff between carts, each claiming items for one family or the other and the check-out guy was exasperated with us as we snatched stuff back and forth. Finally, each with huge receipts in our purses, we wheeled through the doors into the still dark morning.

"What the fuck?" Edward muttered to Jasper. "It's still fucking dark!"

"I feel like I've already done half a day's work. This is insane," Jasper said back.

I grinned at my husband and his brother. "The day's only just begun, boys. We've got about sixteen hours to go."

Their faces instantly molded into twin expressions of horror as they stumbled to the truck.

"I need more coffee," Edward mumbled when he fell into the backseat of the SUV after loading up four TVs and countless bags. We couldn't even see out the back window any more.

In a gesture of goodwill, Mom wheeled through Starbucks and bought Edward a Venti coffee. Their relationship was still strained, but it seemed she was trying to make an overture. I also knew that the only thing Edward held against her was how she had upset me, and it would take time for her to prove to him that she wasn't going to do that again.

Emmett was waiting outside Nordstroms like promised and he took the SUV as soon as we all piled out of it. He was barely awake and mumbled something about getting back to bed on his day off before he drove away.

It was the last time we stood together for almost six hours. Edward and I wondered through the stores, occasionally shopping with the other members of our party and sometimes just waiting for them to finish up. I managed to catch Rosalie eyeing a pair of boots that I'd heard her mention on more than once, and purchased them as soon as she walked away.

"What?" I asked as Edward laughed at me. "It's how we do things. I can never figure out what to get them, so I watch them while we shop and buy the things that they point out."

"Do I have to do my own shopping this year?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, with his hands jammed in his pockets.

"For who?" I asked blankly as I searched for the perfect pair of slippers for Esme.

"The rest of the family," he answered.

I stared at him. "Do you usually?" I hadn't really paid much attention in years past. I'd always included him on my gifts.

He nodded. "It's usually a gift card or something."

I wrinkled my nose. "I think we can do better than that. We're a team now, right?"

He gave me a crooked grin. "Right."

He gave me a quick kiss and pulled out a pair of purple, fur-lined slippers with rubber soles. "For Mom."

At eleven, we met at the food court to regroup and eat. We were all starving and the guys made a quick trip to the car to deposit our shopping. My list was relatively small, but I'd only completely crossed Rose off. I still needed to visit Cardboard Heroes for Emmett—there was a Packers lamp that I wanted to get for him. I'd planned to get Alice clothes, but with her determination to start a family, I was rethinking that idea. I slid the list over to Edward to see if he had any ideas for his mother, his father, Jasper or Alice.

He scribbled some notes down between bites of his enormous roast beef sandwich and I tried to concentrate on the conversation around me. Mom was talking needing to go to the sporting goods store for my dad and Alice was making a list of all the places she still needed to go.

"Your dad wants this new depth finder that came out recently," Edward whispered, leaning over to me. "He said it was the Elite 5x or something like that."

"Really?" I asked. "Okay, well, can you help me find it at Bass Pro?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Is that where we are going next?"

I nodded and he finished quickly. He looked around the food court and stiffened immediately. "Bella, have you seen that guy before?" Edward asked tensely. He was pointing to a refrigerator sized man in a light jacket. Far too light for the twenty degree day.

"No, I don't think so. Why?"

"He keeps looking at you. Stay close to me please," he ordered more than asked.

We walked with my mother down the mall; Edward held my hand and kept me close to his side. Gone was the carefree, albeit exhausted, attitude and in its place was a tense and watchful one. He located the depth finder for my father quickly and I stood next to him while my mother picked out a new fishing pole.

Alice was in Cardboard Heroes when we arrived, picking up a signed Cubs jersey for Jasper. I was in luck with the lamp for Emmett. They had one left. Alice stayed with us as we headed down to Macy's to rendezvous with the rest of our group. While there, I did find some pajamas, a new robe, and some workout clothing for my mother, a new suit for Esme, and a few odds and ends for Edward. I had to sneak away with the girls once or twice to do it, and it felt really strange to be buying him underwear, but I found a few pairs that I really liked and wanted to see him in. The very thought made me blush.

Rosalie was buying some scrubs for her sister-in-law and we were standing out front of the store waiting for her to finish. Dinner was next on the list and we were all getting tired. Edward's phone rang and with a look of confusion, he took a few steps away and answered.

"Edward Cullen." He listened for several minutes before shock became the most prominent emotion.

"You made the arrest already? And you're sure about this?" He paused. "Thank you, Detective. Wait, what?"

The detective on the other end must have said something to anger him because it radiated off every line of his body. "What do you mean he's already posting bail? How is that possible?"

Something else was said and he hung up without another word. I watched him pace a few feet away with wide eyes. Whatever this was had really upset him.

"You ready for dinner, Edward?" Esme called, oblivious to the scene that had just unfolded.

He snapped out of his trance and spun toward his mother. It took several seconds for her words to register. "No, Mom. No dinner. We need to go home. Now."


	22. Chapter 22: Confrontations

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer and all other recognizable elements belong to their respective owners. This story belongs to me and you wouldn't want to be a thief and steal it, right?**

**A/N: As always, there are a lot of people I need to thank for their help with this chapter and in my life this past week. It's been a difficult one, full of adjustment, but I'm getting there, I think. Riss usc_mam and swimom7, you all are the best pre-readers ever. Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy, with your red pens and beta skills, you make this a lot better each week. So thank you!**

**Warning: The fluff you got last chapter is nowhere to be found in this one. This is your official warning.**

**Chapter 22: Confrontations**

**EPOV**

Shit! Shit, shit, SHIT! Today of all days had to be the day the arrest was made. I knew that Bella wasn't happy with me for changing the plans so suddenly, but I couldn't shake the fear.

The rest of the family could have gone out without us—we had two cars with us, after all—but they were being as supportive like normal. Jasper, sensing that something was terribly wrong, flanked Bella's other side as we hurried to our car. Pizza was ordered, and Mom and Rose picked it up on the way home.

Bella didn't say a word. She just held my hand tightly and glanced my way every few seconds. For several minutes, Alice tried to fill the silence with idle chatter, but no one else was responding, so she ended up turning on the radio instead.

I ushered Bella into the house, and instead of going upstairs like I expected, she went directly to the kitchen where the rest of the family was now gathered. I was surprised because facing things head on wasn't how Bella usually operated. She tended to run from things first.

"You want to tell us what's going on now?" Rose asked bluntly as soon as I walked in.

I looked over to Bella—I'd wanted to talk to her about it first—and she motioned for me to spill. "The person responsible for stealing at least thirty thousand of Darton's money was arrested today, and they posted bail this evening."

"Holy shit!" Emmett exclaimed. "That's great news, right? Why did you have to cancel dinner?"

"Because now that they know we are closing in, Bella's even more of a target. Before, we had theories. Now, for all they now, we have evidence and a confession," I explained.

Bella gripped the counter to keep herself from falling, and I crossed the room in three strides to hold her.

"Who was it?" Rose was the first to ask the question I dreaded answering.

Dad cleared his throat and sighed. "Tanya Spencer. Eleazar has already posted her bail."

Mom gave a soft cry and covered her mouth with her hand. Rose sank into one of the kitchen chairs, and Jasper looked stunned. It was a blow for the whole family.

"Tanya?" Bella asked, and I could hear her anger, even before she reared back and I could see it in her eyes. "She did this to you? To your family?"

I gave her a slight nod, and her expression became cold and hard.

"What do you intend to do?" she asked.

I didn't look away from her eyes when I responded, "Prosecute her. Let her hang."

Bella at least cracked a little smile, but the rest of the family was grim.

"And you still think that Windemere is involved? That he'll try harder now?" Emmett confirmed.

"I do. Whatever his goal, he hasn't been successful. He's no closer to getting that land than he was before, and that will only make him desperate, especially if he thinks that she talked," I said. "If he knows her at all, he knows that she'll crack at the first sign of pressure."

"Wait, I've missed something," Rose stated. "Why are we assuming that the two things are connected again?"

Dad answered for me. "Location and timing, mostly. Without her testimony, it'll be mostly circumstantial, but I'm certain that the two things _have_ to be connected."

She nodded, put a couple of slices of pizza on her plate, and stood. "Well, fuck her, then. Excuse my language, Mom, but if she thinks that she can mess with my brother, my sister, and my family's business, she's got another think coming. I've had enough of her shit."

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. "That's all it took? Geez, Rose, thanks for the support a few months too late."

Rosalie looked surprised at her outburst. "Too late?"

Bella shook her head. "Do you have any idea what that bitch put me through? And how it felt to have to go play nice for the weekend? Then to have to put up with her in _my own home_? To have to see _my_ family enjoying her company and not giving a shit how I felt having to eat dinner with the woman that fucked MY husband? And now, NOW you decide that it's the last straw. She was your friend and worth the benefit of the doubt until she stole money from you? That's just fucking great. Enjoy your pizza." Bella threw the plate she had fixed herself down on the counter and stormed out of the room. You could have heard a pin drop.

Bella rarely cursed, and she hadn't said a word about the trip to the Spencer's since that single conversation right after we got back—not to me or to anyone else, that I knew of. Clearly, it bothered her more than she'd let on. But as usual, she was right, and she had every right to feel hurt and betrayed. I swallowed the bile that had risen to my throat and grabbed her food and my own.

"Good night," I said abruptly and started walking out of the room.

"Edward, wait," my mother called after me, breaking the silence, her voice breaking on every word. "Tell Bella I'm sorry. We had no idea. She never said . . ."

I shrugged. "Tell her yourself."

I didn't even look at my family as I strode from the room, following the path my wife had taken.

She was sitting cross legged on the bed with her head in her hands when I walked in and shut the door. At the sound of the click, her head shot up and she glared at me, before her face softened and she offered me a watery smile. Tears coursed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she offered shyly and ducked her head again. "I didn't mean to go off like that."

I slid next to her on the bed and wound my arm around her waist. "No need to apologize. I think that's been a long time coming. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I should have done something more to make that trip easier for you. I never should have gone downstairs that one night, even if my intentions were to get her off your back. We could have gotten a hotel room, so you didn't have to stay in the same house. I just didn't know. And I'm sorry for that, too."

She shrugged and picked at the pizza I'd set down in front of her. "We've had our issues, and we're dealing with them. It's just . . . there are times that I feel like the rest of the family chose her over me, even though I'm supposed to be part of this family. It's always going to be awkward with her around, but I can't help that. That's not _my_ fault. You weren't here—you were in Italy—when she showed up last time. Basically, I had to either endure her company at mealtime or be banished up here. I didn't want her to push me out of my own house, so I dealt with her. Then, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose all made plans to go out. They didn't want to spend time with her, but that left me to find something to do with myself or suffer being near her, too."

I sucked in a breath and swallowed, my own guilt suffocating me again. "No, it's not your fault, Bella. It's mine. And you _are_ part of this family—you're my _wife._ And no matter what she thinks, she's not and never will be. I put everyone in a tough position. I'm sure they never meant to hurt you."

"I know." She sighed and leaned into me. "I'm just really angry, and I don't know how to deal with them."

I smiled and reached in my pocket. This, I could handle. "Why don't you call Zafrina? I can stay with you or give you some space. Whichever you prefer."

"You don't think she'd mind?" Bella asked me timidly, and I could see how much she needed it.

"No. I think she'll be happy you called when you needed her. Here," –I handed her my Blackberry—"take my phone. She's programmed in. Do you want me to go?" I pointed to her study. I didn't intend to go far.

"You can stay." She patted the bed next to her while she dialed, and the volume was just loud enough for me to hear it ring on the other end.

"_Zafrina Emundi speaking."_

"Dr. Emundi? It's Bella Cullen. I'm sorry to bother you on your family weekend."

"_Bella? Not at all. Don't worry. You are giving me a good excuse to escape for a few minutes. What can I do for you?"_

Bella described in detail all that had occurred over the weekend, including the argument with her mother, the phone call, and the confrontation in the kitchen. In the middle of her lament over her harsh words to Rosalie, there was a tentative knock on the door. Bella furrowed her brow and listened intently to something that Dr. Emundi was saying, while I walked over to answer it.

Renee and Charlie stood on the other side, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Charlie raised his eyebrow at me and glared. For the first time, it dawned on me that Bella's parents had been in the kitchen during her little rant and had heard every word. My insides shriveled.

"Can we talk to Bella?" Renee asked icily.

I opened the door wide enough for them to see Bella on the phone. She looked at me, her eyes grew wide, and then she closed them in realization of what she had done. Bella said something quietly but urgently into the phone.

"She's on the phone," I said unnecessarily. "I can have her come get you when she's done."

"Why don't you both come?" Charlie suggested. His tone wasn't as cold as his wife's, but it was angry and disappointed.

I nodded, a sinking feeling taking root in my stomach. Bella and I were just starting to move through this. Her mother already hated me, and this was only going to make things worse. They turned away without another word and walked down the hall. I closed the door, walked back towards Bella, and sank onto the edge of the bed, my head in my hands.

"Oh my God, Edward, I'm so sorry," Bella said thickly, Zafrina still on the phone in Bella's hand. She said something, and Bella punched a couple of buttons.

"_Okay. Now, do I have both of you?"_ she asked, now on speakerphone.

"Hi, Dr. Emundi," I said forlornly.

"_Hi, Edward,"_ she answered with amusement. _"Now, I want to make sure I have this right. Bella, your parents knew that you and Edward were having problems, but they didn't know the specifics. You've also been exposed to this Tanya more than once since finding out about the affair, yes? And you don't feel that the rest of family has been very sensitive about it, even though they do know?"_

"Yeah," Bella mumbled. She had scooted close to me.

"_You finally told them how you felt, now that she's been arrested, and you inadvertently told your parents about Edward's infidelity." _She stated it all so clearly, but the words knifed through me again.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," Bella whispered, pressing as close to me as she could.

"_Apologies will only go so far, as you both know. What we need to discuss is repairing your relationships—first with Bella's parents, and then with the Cullens. It's important to stress that your relationship is yours, and all decisions regarding it will be made by the two of you alone. You don't have to defend your actions to them. You do need to talk to them, though. As for the Cullens, give it a little time. They may not have realized how their actions were perceived, and you need some time to cool down."_

Bella expressed her fears about not being able to make her parents understand, and that she feared she had damaged her relationship with my family, as well. Dr. Emundi reminded her that there were ups and downs in all relationships, and that the only mistake she had made was not expressing her hurt sooner. We talked for a few more minutes, but nothing that was said made me feel more prepared to face my in-laws.

"I know that it doesn't help, but I really am sorry, Edward. I had no right to announce it like I did," Bella said after hanging up the phone.

"I get that you are probably pissed, and maybe you hate me," she babbled. She was clearly as nervous as I was.

"I don't hate you, Bella." I stood and pulled her into my arms, making a decision that I knew would change everything. "This situation isn't easy—it never has been—and it's even more difficult now, but . . ." –I took a deep breath—"I love you, and as long as you are here with me, we'll get through it."

Bella pulled back slightly so she could see my face clearly. "You love me?"

"I do," I told her with a smile. I didn't expect her to respond, and I didn't want her to feel pressured. It was enough for me to know that she knew how I felt. "Now, let's get this over with."

She gave me a blinding smile and kissed me hard, before hugging me tightly and leading me from the room. I was so proud of her for finding the inner strength to get through this.

Renee and Charlie were both in the room, and the door was open when we got down there. Renee was refilling their suitcases and preparing to leave. While I was somewhat relieved that they were going a day early, I knew that it would hurt Bella immensely.

"You're leaving?" she asked in disbelief, clutching my hand tighter.

"In the morning," Renee said primly, not even bothering to turn around and acknowledge her daughter.

Charlie stood in the doorway to the bathroom with his arms crossed. "You want to tell me what this is all about, son?"

Bella squeezed my hand and looked at me in concern. There was no room for lies or half-truths, though.

"What, specifically, would you like to know, sir?" I asked. Charlie and I had agreed not to discuss Bella's and my marital problems, as he thought those were private, but now that they were out in the open, I had no idea what he'd do with that.

"Who's Tanya?" he answered after a moment's consideration.

"Tanya Spencer is an old family friend. She helps manage some of my family's assets, and it seems, she stole them," I said. "Because of her timing and some other evidence, we suspect she might be connected to Windemere."

"And you've let her near Bella?" he asked, somewhat accusingly.

"Her direct involvement in the theft wasn't discovered until today, when she was arrested."

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Renee cried. "Are you _all_ going to ignore the other part? She was his _mistress_! I'll bet you gave her the money to keep quiet, and now you're accusing her of stealing it to cover it all up."

"What is wrong with you?" Bella snapped at her. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"No, I have not, young lady. Apparently, you aren't using yours!" Renee shot back.

"That's enough, Renee," Charlie commanded, and even I flinched at his tone. It was clear from Renee's reaction that he didn't use it often. "What happens in their marriage is between them and is none of our business. That's not to say I'm happy with you, Edward, but we'll discuss that later. I'm more interested in why this woman is a threat. You are both our children, and your safety is our concern."

"He's not my child," Renee muttered nastily.

Bella pulled herself up to her full height and stepped in front of her mother. "Then I'm not, either. Make your choice carefully, _Mother_. You've said enough to me this weekend to let me know what you _really_ think of me. But now, I'm drawing the line."

"You're going to choose _him_ over your parents?" she asked incredulously.

Bella snorted softly, but didn't say a word. She walked back to me and linked our hands together.

The tension in the room was unbearable, so I decided to answer Charlie's question in the hope that we could get out of here sooner. "Any threat Tanya poses to Bella is circumstantial at this point. We don't really know that there is a connection.

"What we do know is that James Windemere has tried on at least two occasions to split us up and is now following Bella. All I know for sure with Tanya is that she entered payment requests for McFadden Concrete into Darton Construction's billing systems, and that those payments were deposited into accounts in her name. The money was almost immediately cashed out. The bank where the deposits were made also holds several accounts for the Windemere family and is several hours away from the Spencer's home. I don't know if she's actually a threat to Bella, but as you can imagine, they don't really get along very well, so she isn't welcome here."

"Keep us posted with what is going on, please?" Charlie requested.

"We will," I promised, grateful that Charlie was choosing to delay the discussion of Bella's untimely revelation. "Renee, I know that you don't like me, but you have to see that Bella is a beautiful and intelligent woman. Even if you don't agree with her decisions, you have to agree that she's perfectly capable to making them."

Renee sighed and finally turned around. "It's not that I don't like you, Edward. What I don't like is seeing my daughter cry over a man that doesn't seem to care about her. Your last visit was the first time I'd seen you together, and it seemed put on and hesitant—like a farce. She deserves more than that."

"Yes, she does," I agreed, and pulled Bella closer to me. I kissed the side of her head and curled my arm around her waist. Bella smiled up at me and rested her head on my chest. I saw Renee's lips curl upwards out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't have cared less what she thought at the moment. At least we both agreed on something.

"What time are you leaving in the morning?" Bella asked, her voice weary. More and more of her weight was resting on me, and I knew that she wasn't going to last much longer.

"Probably around nine," Charlie answered. "We'll make sure to see you before we do, kiddo."

She untangled herself, walked over, and hugged her parents, before telling them good night. I bid them the same and followed her back to her room.

"Can we just go to bed now? I've had enough drama this weekend to last me a lifetime." Bella was already stripping off her clothes.

I laughed and found my pajama pants in the bathroom. Bella picked up her toothbrush, and a flash of blue caught my eye. My toothbrush was sitting next to hers on her sink.

"Bella?" I asked curiously.

"Wha?" she responded through a mouth full of toothpaste.

I held up the brush, and she blushed. Instead of making a big deal of it, though, I snatched her toothpaste from the counter and brushed my teeth alongside her.

When we finally crawled into bed, Bella curled up next to me and lay her head on my chest. "Hey, Edward?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I just, well, I wanted to say thanks, I guess." She sounded a little embarrassed.

"You're welcome, but for what?" I asked with a chuckle.

She raised her head slightly. "For loving me."

I kissed her softly. "You never have to thank me for that, Bella. That's my pleasure."

She sighed happily and cuddled up to me. I fell asleep happier than I'd been in weeks, despite the shit storm that had raged around us all weekend.

Unfortunately, that storm didn't go away, and we woke up to a light knock on our door first thing in the morning. Bella and I both got up to see Charlie and Renee off, then went to the kitchen in search of some breakfast, since we hadn't actually eaten our pizza the night before.

Rosalie was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and her head down when we entered. She looked up, and Bella gasped. Rosalie rarely looked less than perfectly put together, but this morning, her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a mess, and she was still in her pajamas. I doubted she'd slept much.

"Bella?" Rosalie called softly.

With slumped shoulders, Bella turned around and faced my sister. "Rosalie."

"I'm really sorry, Bella. I never meant to make you feel like I was choosing her over you. I just wanted to stay out of it as much as possible," Rosalie said.

"It is what it is, Rose. She was your friend for a long time, and I shouldn't have expected you to just ditch her because she made me uncomfortable," Bella conceded.

I thought she was wrong, but I wasn't unbiased in this situation.

"Yeah, well, she shouldn't have done what she did and expected me to be okay with it, either. You're my sister, and I shouldn't have let her hurt you like she did." Rose shrugged uneasily and took a sip of her coffee.

Rosalie rose and gave Bella a stiff hug, before leaving the kitchen. I knew the discussion wasn't over, but it was a start, and Bella needed the break.

We took our coffee and food back upstairs and held each other while we ate. I'd planned on just hanging out at the house today, spending some down time, but fate had other plans. I'd just gotten dressed, when my phone rang.

"_Edward?"_ Dad's voice sounded slightly panicked. "_You're still home, right?"_

"Yeah, Dad, what's wrong?"

Bella crossed the room, instantly alarmed.

"_Eleazar just showed up with Tanya. He's insisting that we have to listen to her."_

"We have to _what_? He's kidding, right?" I shouted.

"What is it?" Bella asked, her voice wavering.

I held up my finger, silently asking her to give me a minute while my dad informed me that he thought we should hear her out.

"Dad, are the police here? This is a matter for them!" I argued.

"_Edward, she said it's about Bella."_

My heart stopped. Somewhere deep inside, I'd known all along that Tanya was involved in this mess, and he'd just confirmed it in three words.

"We'll be right down."

"Edward, what's wrong?" Bella asked, tugging my hand away from my hair.

"Tanya's here. She's demanding to tell us her side of the story now."

Bella stared at me blankly. "You're kidding me? Now? Why are you considering this?"

She looked angry, so I grasped her hand. "I have to, Bella. _We_ have to."

"Why? Why should anyone listen to her now?" she demanded, angrily.

"Because it's about you," I whispered, lacking the energy and will to fight with her. I was scared of what Tanya would say, if I were being honest with myself.

It appeared that Bella lost her fight, as well, as she sank into my chair. It wasn't lost on me that it was the same chair that she'd sat in the day she first found out the truth of my affair.

"Do you think she'll tell the truth?" she asked quietly, breaking the stillness.

I shook my head. "Honestly, I don't know. She's going to prison at this point for stealing thirty thousand dollars. Maybe it's knocked some sense into her, and maybe she'll say anything to get out of it."

"Can I be there?"

I sank to my knees in front of her and took her hands in mine. "I wouldn't go in there without you, sweetheart. Just . . . remember what I told you last night, please. Remember that I love you."

"Is she going to tell me something else I don't want to hear?" she asked flatly.

"It won't be true if she does," I assured her.

She sighed again. "Then let's go. Let's get this over with and get her out of this house." Bella's voice was thick with fake enthusiasm.

I chuckled at her attempt and helped her to her feet. Together, hand in hand, we walked down to Dad's office, where Dad, Eleazar, and Tanya were already gathered.

Eleazar's jaw was set, and Tanya was pale as we walked in. She was clearly nervous, and couldn't meet my eyes as I sat down. Bella took the seat next to me and just stared at her.

"No lawyer?" I asked, surprised. Eleazar was a smart man. To come here to confess without her lawyer was gutsy at best. He must have been really counting on my father's friendship to save her.

"We figured this was better kept within the family for now," he answered, twitching a bit as he said it.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Let's hear it, then."

"Since when are you so cold, Edward?" Tanya asked in a small voice. "I never meant for it to go this way."

"Tanya, why don't you tell us what you came here to say," Dad said, interrupting what was sure to become an argument.

"I'm not sure where to start. Do you remember Alec?" Tanya asked me.

I searched my memory. "Didn't you date him several years ago?"

She swallowed heavily. "He broke my heart," she whispered and then sniffed. "Anyway, it was early November, two years ago, that he called me, said he needed my help. He'd gotten into some trouble gambling, and that's why he left. His debts were being called, and the guy said that he'd take a trade. My help for Alec's life."

We all just stared at her, waiting for her to go on.

"So, this guy takes the phone from Alec and asks me if I still talk to you. When I told him yes, he said that all he needed was some information. He just wanted to know how things were between you and Bella. He promised that if I told him the truth, he'd let Alec go. So, I told him that you weren't happy, because she was too young, and you were considering an annulment. That made him really happy, and he let me talk to Alec again."

Tanya paused and looked up at me, pleading with me to understand why she'd broken my confidence. "Alec told me that he still loved me and only left to keep from involving me in all his trouble. He promised that he'd see me soon, and they hung up."

"I waited for the phone to ring, or for Alec to show up, but he never did. Instead, the other guy called back a couple of weeks later. This time, he told me that Alec was in more deeply than ever, and that he knew I was coming here for Thanksgiving. I was supposed to test the waters, to see if you were serious about leaving Bella."

I glanced over at Bella, willing her to look at me, praying that she understood where I had been mentally at that time. Her face was blank, though, and her eyes, which were always windows to her thoughts, were shuttered. She gave nothing away as she stared at Tanya.

"Anyway, that's why I kissed you. I saw how you looked at _her_ and figured that you had changed your mind, but I figured that if I could sway you, even a little, it would be physically." She scoffed at the memory. "That was an absolute failure. Not only did you act like I'd pressed poison to your lips, you avoided me for the rest of the trip. I reported back that you didn't seem inclined to leave her, and left it at that." Tanya crossed her arms over her chest. It wasn't antagonistic; it was protective. She was holding herself together.

"You have to understand, I thought that was the end of it. I thought that it would be enough for them to let Alec go, but he never came. And it wasn't the end. In April, Alec called me in a panic. He said that James Windemere wanted more. Alec said his only chance was if I did more, tried harder to remind you that there were women out there that could suit you. They were going to kill him if I didn't."

"Why not come to me and tell me what was going on, Tanya? Why the subterfuge?" I asked loudly. "I could have helped!"

She scoffed. "You would have liked that, wouldn't you? Always bailing me out, helping out poor, little Tanya. I was going to do it on my own. So I seduced you. It wasn't that hard. Dear God, I knew you hadn't had sex in years. I made sure you knew what you'd done. I was counting on your guilty conscience. But you just wouldn't cooperate. God only knows why. When nothing came of it, Windemere told me that I was going to have to pay the debt in another way, so I put in the pay vouchers, and the check went out. Alec owed more than that, I was sure, but I figured with everything, it might be forgiven."

"And Christmas?" I asked wearily. It was going to be more of the same, of that I was sure.

"Same thing. Although, I can't say I enjoyed being called 'Bella' while sucking you off," she said with a sneer.

Now, it was all about shock effect and being intentionally cruel. I gritted my teeth together to keep from hitting her. I didn't know _this_ woman, and I never wanted to.

She continued, as if she was oblivious, but I knew better. "So I stepped up my game. I made sure that _she _knew, just in time for the arbitrary date you'd set to hit. And I thought I had her. I thought she'd left you for good. He told me that Alec would be free as soon as the papers were filed. He'd be mine again.

"Then you just had to come back. If you had just stayed away from him," she said to Bella, "I'd have Alec back."

Bella stared at her with narrowed eyes, slowly shaking her head. "You are pathetic," Bella seethed. "At any point, you could have told someone, gone to the police, asked for help. Instead, you chose to ruin Edward's life. You were _supposed_ to be his friend. He trusted you."

Tanya scoffed again. "The police would have just arrested Alec, if they ever found him. Book-making is illegal, you know. I was trying to do Edward a favor, anyway. It was nothing against you, personally. You're a nice girl."

Every word that came out of her mouth made it harder to restrain myself. She was doing me a favor by helping me ruin my marriage and shattering Bella's self-esteem? And she couldn't seem to stop the idiocy coming out of her mouth.

"Because I wanted to do it myself! I didn't need anyone's help to save him, and I didn't care how I did it. He's all that matters!" Tanya yelled.

Bella's voice was soft, but deadly. "You selfish bitch. How'd that work out for you? Huh?" In one swift move, Bella was on her feet and across the room, with her arm reared back. Tanya opened her mouth again, but before she could say anything, Bella's fist connected with her nose. The crack of her nose was oddly satisfying, even to me.

"Daddy!" Tanya cried thickly through the blood pouring from her nose. "Do something! She hit me!"

Eleazar looked up for the first time and stared hard at Tanya. "You didn't want help then; deal with it yourself now. Besides, I'd say she's earned it." His voice was full of pain and disgust.

To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. He had been unfailingly supportive and defensive of Tanya through the entire ordeal.

"And the money?" Dad asked abruptly, redirecting the conversation. He threw her a towel from his wet bar.

Tanya shrugged. "I never saw a penny of it, I swear."

"Why was Windemere so concerned with the state of Edward and Bella's marriage?" Dad pushed.

She shook her head. "I have no idea. All I know is that he wanted their marriage dissolved very badly, preferably before her eighteenth birthday." Tanya's expression become more conciliatory, and she faced Bella. "Bella, I'm sorry you got caught in the crossfire. You were always a lot nicer to me than I deserved, and you deserve better than Edward."

"Yes, I do." Bella's voice was flat and unemotional. She hadn't looked in my direction since we'd sat down, and she was keeping her chair just far enough away from mine so that I couldn't touch her.

Dad continued to ask questions about Tanya's deception, but I scarcely heard a word. My attention was too focused on the woman that held my heart in her hands. She didn't move; she barely blinked. With each second that passed, my heart raced faster, and the blood pounded louder in my ears. I wanted to vomit.

My attention was diverted when Eleazar stood and motioned for Tanya to do the same. She still looked shaken and scared, but I simply didn't have it in me to care anymore. Eleazar was trying to pin my father down with his intentions, still trying to save his daughter the only way he knew how. No one, however, missed Bella's quiet, but purposeful voice.

"Was it worth it, Tanya?"

Tanya flinched and backed away slightly, which in any other situation, I would have found comical. "Was what worth it?"

Bella huffed in wry amusement. "All of this. Losing your friends, your freedom, the trust of all those close to you. Was all of that worth it for a man that couldn't care less about you?"

"He loves me!" Tanya shouted, her lower lip trembling and her eyes filling with tears.

"He loves you?" Bella rolled her eyes and stood. Her shoulders were back, and she held her head high. This wasn't the girl that had avoided my mistake. This was a woman prepared to face her head on. "If he loved you, you would have seen him at some point in the last two years, especially since he knew all you were doing to secure his freedom. If he loved you, he wouldn't be able to keep himself from you. If he loved you, he would be here with you today, not your father." Her tone was matter-of-fact, with only a hint of the derision so clear in her expression.

"He can't be," Tanya muttered weakly. "Windemere's keeping him locked up, and he can't get to me."

"And no one else is looking for him? You keep telling yourself that."

Bella turned on her heel and walked through the door without a backwards glance.

**Your thoughts? Was it what you expected? Someone asked me to do an outtake of Tanya's POV, but I'm not sure I'm ever going to be ready to go back in her head. We will hear from her again, though, much to my dismay. She's a noisy little thing in my head. **

**I have two recs for you this week, both AU, and both incredible!**

**The Foreign Papers by javamomma0921—Bella is a documents specialist called to London to work with the mysterious Mr. Cullen. We're only 4 chapters in, but I'm hooked. **

**This Buried Life by Emmanuelle Nathan—Bella works on a project for the British Museum and finds herself tied up between work and her personal desires for her new boss. Updates are slow right now, but it's a must read. **

**Have a great week and drop me a line!**


	23. Chapter 23: Beginnings

**The Arranged Marriage**

**A/N: The reviews from last chapter were so mixed! And everyone seemed to think that this would set Bella and Edward back. Some of you felt like there was no hope for them yet! You've lost faith in me. Sigh. You all, however, loved seeing Bella stand up for herself and punch Tanya. I must say, I've had that scene in my head for months and it felt so good to put it to paper! **

**Thank you to swimom7 for pre-reading and Jenny Cullen for her beta skills! You guys are the best and I love you hard!**

**Chapter 23: Beginnings**

**BPOV**

God, I felt sick. I didn't want to feel sympathetic towards Tanya, and I didn't . . . not really. It was more like I pitied her. She sat there, across from me, the woman she'd wronged, and offered the most pathetic defense I'd ever heard. To top it all off, she basically insulted Edward straight to his face.

And was it really that easy to seduce him? She made it sound like she'd just crooked her finger, and he came running. Twice. I'd vomited the first time I'd heard these details, and my meager breakfast wanted to make another appearance this time, too.

Edward sat next to me, looking mortified and crushed under the weight of her words. Each time she spoke, his shoulders sagged a little more, and the light in his eyes dimmed. Eleazar had almost looked proud of me for punching her, like he'd wanted to hit his own daughter, but didn't dare. She'd risked it all and lost the bet.

All for the love of a man that didn't return it.

I couldn't stay in the room with her for another minute. I didn't want to hear Carlisle offer to talk to the police to lessen the charges. And I didn't want to lose my breakfast with her watching.

Esme was standing at the end of the hallway, wringing her hands.

As I passed by, I glanced at her and said, "They're almost done. She'll be out in a minute."

Esme's arm reached out and caught mine, though, before I could take two more steps. "I'm not waiting for her, Bella. I was waiting for you. Can we talk for a minute?"

I glanced at her in surprise, mostly because she seemed so nervous. I shrugged and took a deep breath, willing my stomach to settle. I nodded, unable to open my mouth at the moment. She linked her arm in mine and steered me towards her sitting room. I was expecting to go to her office, and I felt more relieved with each step I took away from the hag in Carlisle's.

When we entered her room, she took a seat on the edge of her settee and clasped her hands in front of her. I wasn't sure what to do with myself, so I mirrored her position on the chair next to her.

"I owe you an apology, Bella, and it's long overdue. I've always tried to stay out of my children's private lives—and living with Rose and Emmett, you know that is no easy task. But I never felt like it was my place to interfere in their marriages. I thought that being supportive would be enough. I never expected this situation between you and Edward, and while I knew that the weekend we spent at the Spencers' was difficult for you, I didn't realize the extent of it. And when she showed up while Edward was in Italy, I was too busy being thankful that he wasn't here and trying to keep her occupied to recognize the stress it put on you—and in your own home. That wasn't fair of any of us, and I'm sorry. Perhaps I was too concerned about my own relationship with Carmen and Tanya to see that you were hurting. Whatever my excuse, it's not good enough. I'm sorry for my part, and on behalf of the rest of the family, although, you deserve apologies from them, too."

I gave her a rueful half-smile. "Thank you, Esme. I should have said something sooner and not made such a scene in the kitchen yesterday, though. It's not really fair of me to ask you all to let Edward and me work on our relationship on our own, but also ask you to choose sides. It's not fair, but right now, it's what I need. If you feel the need to have her here, just let me know, so I can leave."

Esme's expression grew fierce, along with her voice. "No, Bella. This is your home, and I will not ask you to leave so that tramp can parade around. If that means that Carmen and Eleazar have to stay away, we'll kindle our friendship from afar, or Carlisle and I will go there. End of story."

I reached over and squeezed her hand. "Thank you," I whispered softly. "I really needed to hear that. Maybe one of these days I'll feel like I'm really part of this family." I gave her a sad smile to soften my words. I loved Esme but I needed her to understand the hurt I felt. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'm going to go lie down now. I'm not feeling very well." I was tired, but more than anything, I just wanted to be away from everyone for a little while.

Esme nodded and patted our joined hands with her free one. "Of course, darling. It's been a tumultuous weekend for you. Get some rest, okay?"

I rose and wandered back through the house, careful to avoid any common areas that Tanya might be lurking in. Because of my circuitous route, it took a long time to get back to my room. The nausea had abated somewhat, but I still felt hollow . . . and drained.

My door was open, just as I'd left it, and it appeared to be undisturbed. That could only mean that Edward was still downstairs. I sighed, shut the door, and crawled into the bed we'd left unmade. I pressed Edward's pillow into my stomach and curled my body around it.

If I'd ever had a question about whether Edward still wanted his friendship with Tanya, it was gone now. Not only had she seduced him in an effort to "save" her ex-boyfriend, she had treated him with such derision, as if his life and happiness didn't actually matter to her. When I'd thought she'd pursued him because she cared about him, I'd worried that she would flaunt herself as a temptation to him for the rest of our lives. It had been enough of a strain on him to know that he'd given in to someone that cared about him. I was afraid that finding out she'd used him—with no regard for him or me—and he'd let her, would pull him under where I would never be able to reach him. There was no way I could let that happen. I loved him too much to see Tanya destroy the man he was becoming.

I also didn't know how I was supposed to feel about her whole story. According to her, James Windemere had engineered everything to split Edward and me up and had been working on it from the very beginning. Tanya had been merely been a pawn in his grand scheme. This couldn't have just been about the land; it was far too elaborate. What could he possibly want?

I was still pondering over possible reasons for James Windemere to be out to get me, when a small noise alerted me to the fact that I was no longer alone.

"Bella . . ." My name was just a whisper on his lips.

My eyes shot open, and I found Edward standing near the study door. The expression on his face, his posture, and his stance all told me in that one glance that he was as broken as I'd feared. It also told me that he hadn't still been downstairs after all; he'd been in his room.

Wordlessly, I held out my hand and beckoned him to me. Slowly, he crossed the room, his eyes never leaving mine. When he got to my side, he just stood there, his hand half-outstretched—wanting to reach for me, but holding back. I patted the bed next to me to give him direction. More than anything at that moment, I wanted to feel his arms around me. I wanted the Edward he'd become with me to come back.

Edward lay down next to me, but he didn't curl around me or move to hold me. He was flat on his back, with his arms over his face.

I sighed and internally shook my head. There was something going through his head, making him withdraw, and I wasn't going to let that happen. I refused to let her take him from me again. So, I slid over next to him, laid my head on his chest, and hitched my leg over his.

"Are you okay?" I finally asked, when he still hadn't moved.

Edward barked a harsh laugh. "Am I okay?" he asked incredulously. "Bella, I . . ." He didn't seem able to finish his thought and just shook his head. After another moment of silence, he turned his head towards me. "Are you all right, Bella?"

I shrugged. "I'm worried about you," I offered. I wasn't really sure if I could answer whether or not I was okay.

He finally turned to look me, his eyes full of questions. Before he could get them out, though, I asked him the most pressing question on my mind.

"What did you agree to? For Tanya," I clarified.

He swallowed heavily, but met my gaze. "She'll still be prosecuted for the embezzlement, but with a petition for leniency and the stipulation that she has to repay the money. If charges are brought against Windemere for any of this, she will have to testify against him, and if he so much as touches a hair on your head, she'll be charged as an accessory."

"So, she's just going to get away with it? All the damage she's done—and she just gets to walk away and live her life like nothing's changed?" I asked angrily. It hurt to think that after everything, there were no consequences.

"Not exactly. She's been fired from Dalton and isn't allowed to work for any of the companies we own ever again. Even with the leniency, the charges will still be on her record, and there will be community service and probation to serve. Eleazar told her that she has thirty days to find a job and to move out. It hardly seems like enough," he said with a sigh.

But he'd battled for her. After all she'd done, he was standing up for her and letting her walk away from all of this. She still hurt him, and that cut me to the quick. It occurred to me for the first time that we might not be able to survive this intact, that maybe too much damage had been done and that there were more feelings than he'd admitted to.

My first instinct, as always, was to run. I didn't want to lay there with him any more; I didn't want to feel his skin on mine. I wanted to be alone so I could mourn without judgment. But I couldn't bring myself to leave the sanctuary of my bed.

I rolled away from him and lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to bring it up. We had worked so hard to repair our marriage, only to have his feelings for Tanya, which I had believed were gone, to resurface.

"Oh, Bella," Edward whispered, wiping his finger across my cheek. Moisture spread over my skin—I hadn't even realized I was crying. "I'm so sorry you had to hear all that again."

"It's not that," I said with a sniffle. "I expected to hear more of her tripe. What I didn't expect was for it to hurt you so much. I didn't expect for your feelings for her to still be so strong."

Edward sat up abruptly. "My feelings for her? What are you talking about, Bella?" His voice sounded rather alarmed.

I tilted my head slightly to the side so I could see him if I looked, but still had the safety of the ceiling to retreat to. "Every time she spoke, I could see it in your face. She hurt you with what she said, and the only reason I can think of is that you still care."

"Oh, baby, no!" he cried, reaching for me. I allowed him to wrap me in his arms. "She didn't hurt me. She hurt you! I watched you shut down more with each word, and I was afraid of what the damage would be. Please don't believe for one second that I want her." 

There was no room to doubt his honesty and I mentally retraced our time in the office with Tanya. I never saw him look at me directly, but when I thought about it, his words made sense. I had been working very hard to keep my mask from slipping but I knew that I couldn't have been entirely successful and that if he'd looked at me at all, I knew he saw me flinch. He hadn't cared about her at all or her role in the drama other than for the effect it had on me.

Tears leaked from my eyes without my permission, but I couldn't seem to stop the gushing. "She was so mean to you!" I sobbed. "Tanya was supposed to be your friend. How could she be so cold and callous?"

I felt Edward shrug while my head rested on his chest. "All that matters to Tanya, is Tanya. She doesn't care who she hurts, as long as she gets what she wants." He paused. "Is it terrible of me to be glad that Alec didn't come for her?"

I gave a slight laugh. "No, I think it's what she deserves. Now if only she would get to see him with another woman."

Edward's arms pulled me in tighter, and he kissed the top of my head. "I'm so sorry, my love."

I pulled back and shook my head. "No. No more sorries. It's gotten us to where we are today, and I can't regret being here, now, with you. Maybe we wouldn't have made it without us both growing up first. I'd love to remove her from the picture, but we can't." I leaned up and kissed him softly to reinforce my point, and then laid my head back on his chest, staring into his wide eyes. 

Edward's lips descended to mine before I could register his movement. And . . . Oh, God! I'd felt his passion before, but nothing, nothing, compared to this. My mouth opened in shock, and his tongue met mine eagerly. They tangled together, massaging and exploring, while our lips moved against each other. It wasn't about lust and desire, although that was present. It was about connecting, emotions, and love. I hadn't said the words, and for now, I let my kisses say them for me.

The planes of Edward's torso were smashed against me, and I could pick out each ridge through his shirt. I wanted them under my hands, though—with no barriers. While our mouths were busy, my hands worked their way underneath the thin material.

His skin pebbled into goosebumps under my touch, and he let out a soft groan into my mouth. His shoulders flexed when I ran my hands over them, and I caressed them roughly, digging my fingers in slightly and pulling him closer. His shirt restricted my movements, though, so I pulled back and started tugging it up over his head.

Edward's eyes narrowed, and he watched me carefully, searching my eyes for answers to unspoken questions. "Are you sure, Bella?" he murmured.

I nodded and gave him a tender smile. I had no idea what I was really asking for, how far I was willing to take this, but I knew I wanted more from him and that I wanted it now.

That small movement seemed to satisfy him, and he whipped his shirt off. His arm muscles bunched and stretched, mesmerizing me. I was so entranced that I didn't realize he was lifting my shirt off, as well.

I lifted my arms, and my shirt fell to floor in a heap. I stared at it, my brain fuzzy, until I saw Edward tentatively reach for me in my peripheral vision. My head snapped back, and my brain got even fuzzier, because Edward shirtless, well, that was a sight to behold.

My hands wound into his hair again, and I tugged his mouth to mine. Admittedly, it wasn't hard to move him, and he practically crashed on top me with a gentle laugh. Edward's right hand lifted up and brushed across my cheek, just a whisper of a touch, but the look of tenderness in his eyes combined with it was enough to melt me into a pile of goo.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered.

The emotions welled up inside me, and happy tears pricked at my eyes. I was so full that the only way to release it was to admit to him what I'd only admitted recently to myself.

"I love you, too," I said softly.

Edward's breath caught, and he looked stunned. "You love me?" he asked in wonder and disbelief.

"I do." I nodded and smiled.

Our lips crashed together, and all of Edward's normal restraint was gone. His hands touched every inch of my body that they could find, and I felt my desire ratchet up with each pass. His hands cupped my breasts, and his thumbs passed over my nipples.

I moaned. Loudly. It spurred Edward on, though, and his caresses became more frantic. My own matched the pace of his, and my hands slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans. My hips rocked up into his, and I could feel him hard against me. Jolts of electricity shot from between my legs and traveled through my entire body.

Edward's chest rumbled with his groan, and he rocked into me again. "Oh God, baby. You . . . you . . ." he mumbled, while fumbling with the clasp on my bra. It popped open, and he shoved the lace out of the way, his lips parting from mine and nipping down my chin to latch onto my nipple.

I arched my back in pleasure, wanting more, and he gave it to me. Tugging, licking, sucking, rolling on each side of my chest, shooting bolts of pleasure straight down to my core. I needed to feel him, to make him feel the way I did.

The button on his jeans gave way easily, and I slid the zipper down. My arms weren't long enough to do more than shove his boxers and pants off his hips, but when I did, he froze, panting.

"Baby, I . . . you can't . . ."

I used the opportunity to yank them off further. He stilled my hands.

"Bella, I can't . . . they need to stay. I won't be able to stop," he admitted, and I could see the desire warring with the shame.

I had only a split second to make my decision, but really, it had been made long before. My hesitation would only cause his retreat. "I don't want to stop," I murmured into his ear, just before I sucked his earlobe into my mouth.

"Ungh . . . Bella. Baby, stop. Not like this," he pled.

I pushed against his shoulders so that he could see into my eyes. "Yes, like this. I want all of you, Edward. Please."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he twisted away from me and rose from the bed, his jeans still hanging out around his knees.

Tears pooled in my eyes as the rejection washed over me. "Edward," I whispered miserably, as I watched him walk away.

"Just give me a minute, baby. I'm coming back," he assured me, but his voice was thick.

I buried my head in his pillow and let my fears leak out. Soft sounds from around the room occasionally reached my ears, but I couldn't look, couldn't face him.

The bed dipped next to me, and I startled at Edward's gentle touch.

"Bella," he whispered, tugging the pillow out of my grasp.

I chanced a quick glance at his face, and the love I saw took my breath away. I noticed the changes in the room around us, too. The harsh lights of the sun and the overhead light were replaced with the soft flicker of candlelight, and strains of some classical orchestral piece floated through the air.

Edward's hand ghosted over my cheek, wiping away any remnants of my tears and the accompanying sadness. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just had to step away for a moment. If we'd continued then, it wouldn't have been what you deserved. Now, where were we?" He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, while his hands trailed down my arms and over my breasts. He didn't linger there, though. His hands continued their journey down to the closure of my jeans.

With a glance to make sure I was still in agreement, his deft fingers flicked the button open, and gently, reverently, he slid them down my legs. I reached over to him, expecting to do the same, but all I found was the soft cotton of his boxers covering him. I glanced up in surprise, and he just gave me a small smile before kissing me gently again.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked again.

I nodded. "Yes. I'm sure. I love you."

He smiled and nodded in return, and leaned me back onto the pillows. Carefully, he lay next to me and brushed the hair away from my face, before leaning down and kissing me again. It was as before, gentle, loving, cherishing.

While his lips danced with mine, his hands roamed over my body, pausing in all of the right places and heating me beyond where I'd ever been. He'd touched me before, but now that I knew where it was all leading, all my senses were on high alert, and each caress was more meaningful to me.

I jumped slightly when I felt his fingers slip underneath the waistband of my underwear, and he stopped immediately, pulling back in alarm and hesitation.

"No, don't stop," I begged, but it came out sounding more like a moan than I intended. "Please."

And then, they were there. His fingers were slipping in between my legs and sending waves of pleasure through me. One long finger slipped inside me, while his thumb pressed on my clit. My hips writhed against his hand, wanting more, needing more.

"Edward, please, I want you. Please stop teasing me!" I cried.

He smiled and kissed me fiercely. "We'll get there, love. Just . . . let me make you feel good first." Through it all, his fingers—he'd added another without me noticing—pumped in and out of me, stretching me and driving me to the brink faster than I'd thought possible. With one last curl of his fingers, the wave broke over me, and I fell into oblivion.

For a split second as my orgasm retreated, I worried that I might not want to continue now and that Edward would be disappointed. Then it occurred to me that he might not want to go any farther. But as I felt his hands tugging at the material covering me, all of those concerns flew out the window. I wanted this, I wanted him, and he . . . Oh God!

A deep moan and rumble of satisfaction burst from Edward as he took one long, slow lick. The tension that had just exploded starting building again, and I collapsed back against my pillow. My hands clutched at his hair—when did they get there?—and pulled him closer to me. He chuckled against me, and the motion heightened all the senses he was . . . Holy . . . how did he do that?

I couldn't focus on what he was doing. The sensations were all too much, too pleasurable, and I was speeding towards the edge of a cliff faster than I ever had before. As soon as he added his finger and sucked on my clit, I flew off, and I think I screamed his name. Someone did, anyway.

Slowly, Edward helped me find the bottom and crawled back up my body, I think. He was there next to me again without me realizing that he'd moved that much. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him with what little strength I had left, kissing his neck as I did so. His hands wandered over my back and down to my bottom, pulling me closer and bringing my now sopping wet body into direct contact with his hardness.

"God, I want you," Edward mumbled as he sucked on the spot just below my ear that drove me crazy.

"Then take me," I answered breathlessly, and with a little more bravery than I actually felt.

He leaned back and searched my eyes again, probably making sure that this was what I really wanted, so I shoved all my fears down and showed him with my eyes how much I loved and wanted him.

The cotton of his boxers slid down easily, and his cock rebounded against my stomach as it sprang free. With a little wiggling, he pushed them all the way off, and we lay there, together, both fully naked in bed for the first time.

His eyes roamed up and down my body, before settling on my face. "You are so beautiful," he whispered huskily, and I could see that he truly believed it. "I love you, Bella; I really do and I promise that I will do my best to never give you a reason to doubt it ever again."

I smiled. "I know you do. And I love you. So much." I strained my neck up to kiss him, and I could taste an odd musky flavor that could only have been me. His natural taste overpowered it, though, and I delved my tongue into his mouth.

We'd never had a hotter make-out session than we did, lying there naked on my bed. It was made even better, though, when he rolled over on top of me and settled between my legs.

He paused. "Do you want . . . I mean, should I go get a . . ." He blushed deeply and looked toward my dresser, where I could just see a couple of silvery packets that hadn't been there earlier.

"No." I shook my head. "Just you and me."

He nodded and kissed me softly. "This might hurt a little. Tell me if it's too much," he begged.

"I will," I promised, and recaptured his lips with my own. I was ready for this, and I wanted him to be mine in every way.

For a moment, he rocked against me, coating himself in my wetness, and then I felt the head against me. Slowly, he pushed inside me, and I was right. He was A LOT bigger than my vibrator. My body adjusted to him quickly, though, and he groaned as I flexed around him. With one quick thrust, he was fully inside me, his hips against mine. The pain I'd expected to feel never came, though, and all I felt was fullness and completeness. This was home, and right where I was meant to be.

Edward's arms were straining beside my head as he held himself still. "God, you feel so good, baby," he groaned through his teeth. "So perfect around me."

I moved my hips slightly, forcing him just a little deeper, and he moaned in a combination of pleasure and pain.

"Oh, love, are you . . . I . . . need to . . ."

I smiled and kissed him fully. "I'm fine. Make love to me, Edward." And I was fine. Better than fine. This was the most incredible feeling I'd ever experienced.

That was all it took. Slowly, he pulled almost all the way out of me, and then buried himself again. Again and again, to a rhythm only our bodies felt, we moved together, the feeling of fullness and . . . rightness never dissipating, only growing stronger. This was exquisite.

It wasn't long, though, before Edward's thrusts became less uniform. "Baby, I can't . . . you feel too damn good," he ground out.

I'd never felt so powerful before. Me, little old me, was stripping this strong man of all his control. "Let go, baby," I whispered. "Come in me."

Three more erratic thrusts, and he did just that. With a cry and a groan, I felt him pulse inside me, and his arms gave out. While it should have been crushing, his weight was merely comfortable and made me feel so close to him. I held him tight, rubbing my hands along his back and shoulders as he shuddered. All too soon, he rolled to the side and slipped out of me, pulling me to his side with his arms.

"Was that . . . okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face. Even now, panting heavily and clearly spent, he was worried about me.

"It was amazing," I told him honestly, punctuating it with a kiss.

"I'm sorry you didn't—" he started to apologize, but I cut him off.

"Two of the best of my life before hand were plenty for me. Besides, we have forever to work on that, right?" I said with a wink.

"Forever," he promised, and with his kiss, I knew he meant it.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up naked, with Edward wrapped around me. I was slightly sore, from the intrusion, I guessed, but I was too comfortable to even think about moving.

Thoughts of our afternoon infiltrated my consciousness. Never in my life had I felt so free. We loved each other and belonged to each other in every sense of the world. And for all her . . . worldliness, I now knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I held a piece of Edward that she'd never touched. I had his heart. That, and his cock was all mine, too. That was a prize in and of itself.

Edward's arms tightened around my waist and pulled me back into him. I was unsurprised to feel a certain part of him hard against me—it was like that every time we slept together.

"Mmm," he mumbled sleepily. "Hi, baby. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmmhmm," I answered through my smile, snuggling in closer.

He placed a small kiss on my neck and skimmed his nose up the shell of my ear. "I'll be right back."

I made a small noise of protest, until I realized that it meant I got to watch a very naked Edward walking through our bedroom. What a fine sight it was. He strode into the bathroom, and I heard the unmistakable sound of water running in the tub. A few minutes later, he returned to my side, clad in his bathrobe.

"Join me?" he asked, holding his hand out to me.

"Sure," I agreed. I winced a bit, involuntarily, when I sat up, and it didn't go unnoticed by Edward. His lips mashed into a hard line, but he didn't comment. Instead, he shoved the blankets to the side and swung me up into his arms.

He carried me to the bathroom and settled me into the warm, bubbly water. Then, he discarded his bathrobe and stepped in, slipping his body in behind me. We talked idly about trivial things, while he ran a washcloth over my body, soothing and cleansing me. Never had I felt so loved and cherished.

The water chilled before I was really ready to get out, but we let the water out anyway, and Edward held my bathrobe for me.

"We missed lunch," Edward remarked. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat. In fact, I think I worked up an appetite," I teased.

Edward smiled and shook his head. "I think I did, too."

Once we were dressed, we walked downstairs, hand in hand. It was like we couldn't get enough of each other. I knew that I couldn't. Unfortunately for us, the entire family was in the dining room as we walked through. I had no desire to socialize with anyone tonight—anyone other than Edward anyway—but there was no way to avoid them. I wanted to grab some food and take it upstairs to eat in our own private sanctuary, but Esme already had plates set for us.

It didn't take long, though, to register that all the faces at the table looked solemn.

"Edward, Bella, please join us," Carlisle invited, but it was less of a request and more of a demand.

With leaden feet, we walked over to the table and sank into our usual chairs.

"Dad, what's the matter?" Edward asked in alarm.

Carlisle sighed and tented his fingers over his plate. "Tanya and Eleazar took her statement to the D.A.'s office after they left here today, at my urging. The police found Alec Winters about two hours ago. Both of his legs are broken, and his jaw is shattered."

I shook my head, bewildered. "What does that mean?"

"It means that at least part of Tanya's story checks out," Carlisle explained.

Edward scoffed. "And why does that matter?"

"For the same reason I agreed to more lenient terms for Tanya-because it also means that the rest of it could be."

**So . . . was it all you expected? Let me know!**

**I've completed my piece for Fandom 4 Floods and it is an outtake to this story. Make a donation of any size to help those in Australia ravaged by water and receive a huge compilation, including my outtake. It's a great cause for people that really need help. **


	24. Chapter 24: Fear

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable elements belong to their owners. Blah, blah, blah. You know the drill. **

**A/N: Credit for the idea of incorporating DV into this chapter goes to littlecat358, as do some of the statistics. **

**I've had a lot of new readers this week, so, HI NEW READERS! Glad you could join us. Thanks this week to Jenny Cullen for her fantastic beta skills. There will be more below, but I'll let you read now. **

**Chapter 24: Fear**

**EPOV**

"_Because it also means that the rest of it could be." _

Dad's words haunted me. Only a few hours before, I'd been making love to my wife for the first time, and suddenly, I was terrified that she'd be ripped away from me.

Alec Winters had managed to convey to the police, under promises of protection, that he had gotten heavily into gambling debts and that his injuries were the result of him not paying quickly enough. When questioned about Tanya's involvement, they said he'd paled instantly and refused to comment. I didn't know whether that corroborated her story or not.

Meanwhile, Bella refused to let them make her cower. She went on with her life like nothing was wrong, excepting the increased security I'd insisted upon. I wasn't faring as well. Every time she left the house, I was afraid that she wouldn't come home—that somehow, he'd get to her.

At home, though, we'd never been happier. Zafrina was extremely pleased with our progress, especially after our disastrous holiday weekend. Bella had taken the time to talk to each member of my family in turn about her comments, and they had all apologized to her. She'd avoided talking to my dad as long as she could, but when she did, I thought they both felt better for it.

Bella and I had talked at length about the decision to go lightly on Tanya. Once I'd made it clear that I had not agreed with it, she held my dad firmly responsible, and she was additionally upset that even after her outburst, he'd chosen to cater to Tanya. He promised Bella that the only thing that had factored into his decision was her safety and Tanya's promise to testify against Windemere when the time came. If Tanya refused, she'd immediately go to prison. He'd later told me it had broken his heart that Bella believed he didn't care.

At Bella's request, we dismantled my bedroom and were in the process of making it into a living room. Most evenings had us either in there watching some show on our new DVR, or in our bed . . . watching . . . each other.

If I thought our first time was incredible, it had nothing on our experiences since then. We'd spent the better part of two weeks exploring each other's bodies. That one act had unleashed a monster that I was all too willing to entertain. There were still certain acts that were off-limits, but as I'd told Bella in therapy, I'd live without them if it meant I could have her.

I was lost in daydreams of our Saturday night, when Bella made an aggravated noise next to me. She had slipped on one of my T-shirts and had her laptop open on her knees. I was still naked and had been trying to convince her to put the computer down off and on for the last two hours.

"Can you believe this?" Bella huffed. "According to this website, women who kill their abusers in self-defense get more prison time, on average, than pedophiles! That's criminal!"

"Hmmhmm," I murmured. "Why are you researching this again?"

Her shoulders sagged, and I knew that I was supposed to remember this. "December is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and that is what we are going to be talking about this week in group. I told you about this."

I nodded and rubbed her arm. "I remember." I paused before I spoke again, because I was slightly fearful of Bella's reaction. "Um, about that. Would you mind if I went with you one day this week?"

She leveled me with an annoyed stare. "Edward, you already have three bodyguards following me everywhere I might want to go. It's a little excessive."

The sheet covering my chest slipped down as I shifted up next to her, and I caught her gaze wandering down my torso, before her eyes snapped back up when she realized that she was supposed to be mad at me.

"It's not about security, Bella. Not exactly, anyway. Detective Masters wants to see us, and I thought it would be a good time to go."

Bella's eyes widened, and she set her computer on the nightstand. "What does he want?" She curled into my side, and I brought the covers a little tighter around us.

"He heard Tanya's story and was present when they questioned Alec. He wants our side of the story," I explained.

Bella frowned and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "But wouldn't that require us to tell him everything?"

I shook my head. "I have no intention of revealing our private life to him. Just the basics on what Windemere has done and our best guesses as to why."

She sighed and relaxed into me, kissing above my heart on my chest. "And just what private details are you referring to?"

I saw my chance, and there was no way I wasn't going to run with it. "Hmmm, details like this." I ran my fingertips underneath the shirt she wore and skimmed them along the underside of her breasts. Just as I knew she would, Bella arched her back into my touch and leaned her head back with a little moan.

"Or the ones like this," I whispered, as I trailed my other hand across her hips, just barely touching the top of her mound.

She wriggled slightly underneath my hands and wedged her hand between us, brushing ever so lightly against my cock.

I groaned and shifted my hand upwards ever so slowly, cupping her breast with my palm and pinching her nipple. She let out a slight mewl and pushed herself further into my hands, seeking more, wanting more. There was no point in denying her, in denying myself, any longer, because we both knew that we would give in. Hell, we'd given in more times to each other in the last few weeks than I could count, and I didn't see that stopping any time soon.

Bella's hand slipped from between us, and I pressed firmly into her ass, wanting her to feel what she did to me, what she always did to me. I ran my hand between her folds, and she was wet. So wet. Gently, I rubbed her clit and pushed my fingers inside of her. She moaned in appreciation and bucked into my hand. We only had a little longer before we were going downstairs for lunch and the game, and I wanted her before then.

"Please," she begged, wiggling further into my hand.

"What do you want, my Bella?" I whispered huskily into her ear, before sucking it into my mouth. "Tell me."

"Ungh, I want you inside me. Please," she whimpered. "No more teasing!"

I grinned against her hair and removed my hand from between her legs. She protested slightly, but I wanted to try something. I lifted her right leg over mine and thrust my cock in between her legs. She hissed in pleasure, and then moaned deeply as I sank inside her, holding her upper body tightly against me.

Being inside Bella was incomparable. It wasn't just the feeling of her tight heat surrounding my cock or the moans that passed from her lips. It was her body pressed to mine, skin on skin; it was our lips molding to each other; it was in the closeness and love that flowed freely, while we expressed it physically.

Bella turned her head to the side, searching for my lips as I slid in and out of her. Her hands roamed behind her, touching my body in any way she could, while I massaged her breasts and slid my other hand down to her clit.

"Oh dear God," she moaned. "Next time, remind me how much I like this so I don't make us wait so long."

I smiled against her cheek and thrust a little harder, knowing that I wasn't going to last long this morning and determined to bring her to completion first. One more thrust, and she was there, calling my name and milking my cock inside of her.

"I love you," she whispered as came down from her high.

Those simple words sent me over the edge myself. I kissed her with as much passion and energy as I could muster, in thanks and in love.

Gently, I pulled out of her with a hiss and rolled her in my arms so that I could see her beautiful face. "You know how much I love you, don't you?"

She grinned at me and raised her eyebrow. "What do you want?" she asked playfully.

"Other than you, forever?" I asked innocently. "I want to go to your parents' house for Christmas."

Bella groaned. Since Thanksgiving, this had been a sore topic for us. I was determined to not spend most of it here with my family, and she wasn't sure that she could stand being around her mother. They'd spoken on the phone a few times, and most of the conversations had left her on edge.

"Edward," she whined. "I don't want to go to my mom's. It'll be Thanksgiving all over again, and I can't do that again."

I shook my head. "No, it won't be, I promise. I've talked to your dad, and he said that if she can't get it together in the next two weeks, he's going to send her to your grandma's."

Bella's eyes grew wide, and her mouth fell open. "He wouldn't!"

I'd never met Bella's only living grandparent, and she never mentioned her, so I didn't understand Charlie's and Bella's reactions. "That's what he said at Thanksgiving and yesterday when I talked to him."

"Oh," she said heavily. "That changes things."

"What's wrong with your grandmother?" I asked ignorantly.

Bella started laughing hysterically.

When she finally caught her breath, she looked at me with as much seriousness as she could muster and tried really hard not to snort. "Okay, so you know my mom and how flighty she is. She's crafty and whimsical and all fun, right?"

I nodded. That was the mother that she'd told me about, anyway. I certainly had no experience with that woman.

"My grandmother is her polar opposite. She's straight-laced, stern, and has a serious stick up her ass. She's your stereotypical old woman with lots of money. Grandma's cats eat out of crystal bowls, and she spends more money on bad art than she gives to charity. Every time we went to see her when I was growing up, she insisted that I wear 'proper dresses' and learn manners. I remember spending hours sitting on the sofa in her drawing room, listening to her talk to her friends that came calling, praying that I could just escape the room. Telling my mother that she had to pass the holidays with her would be like sentencing her to her own personal version of Hell."

I chuckled and kissed her nose. "Well, either way, it should make Christmas more interesting for us."

She just shook her head and sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this? We don't have to."

"Yes, we do," I insisted. Not only was I not going to subject her to another holiday with reminders of my screw-ups, but the surprise I was planning would work so much better up there. And I had the feeling that Bella really wanted to spend it there, but was trying to put my discomfort above hers. There was no way I was going to let that happen.

She rolled her eyes playfully, smiled, and kissed me. "I guess we need to get up. The game starts in . . . oh crap, fifteen minutes ago!"

I laughed and followed her to the shower.

"Nuh-uh! If you get in here, we'll never see the game. Emmett won't let us live it down!" Bella laughed.

I gave her a pout, and she just shook her head, closing the bathroom door between us. I ran around and jumped in the shower in my room so that we wouldn't take that much longer.

Sure enough, when we went downstairs, Emmett made a lot of crude jokes and suggestive comments. Other than Bella blushing a lot, we just laughed it off and made fun of the Packers for their less than stellar performance.

Bella spent some time during the games doing research for her presentation, and I had to admit that I was excited about seeing her in action the next day. This was so important to her, and I wanted to share with her what I could of it.

On Monday, she came to get me in my office when it was time to leave, and I climbed in next to Bella in the back seat of the SUV the security team had provided. She seemed a little more keyed up than she usually did when she headed to New Horizons, so I clasped her hands in mine and held them.

"What are you so worried about? You know these girls love you, and you're going to do great!" I reassured her.

"It's not that," she mumbled. "I'm used to _them_."

My brow furrowed as I thought through the implications of what she was saying. "Am I making you nervous?" I asked incredulously.

She shrugged. "A little."

"There's no need to be nervous of me. You know I'm going to think you're wonderful, even if you stand up there and talk gibberish," I said with a laugh, trying to ease her nerves. "Just imagine me naked. I've heard that helps."

"Like that's going to help!" she groaned. "Now I'm going to have that image in my head and not be able to concentrate on anything!"

I laughed and kissed the side of her head. She pulled out her notes and shuffled through them as we made our way through the streets. When we arrived, she sucked in a deep breath, gave me a nervous smile, and shoved the notes back in her bag. I followed her into the building.

She set up the chairs quickly and double checked everything to make sure it was in place. A member of the kitchen staff brought in the snacks just as the girls started to arrive, and Bella greeted each one by name. She got a bit more relaxed with each entrance, and soon, she was smiling a real smile.

"All right, girls, settle down," she called. "I'm sure you've all noticed the guys standing in the back of the room. That's my husband, Edward. He's here to observe, so just ignore him—pretend he isn't here."

They all eyed me appreciatively, but turned back to Bella as she requested. I considered that it was a mark of how much respect they had for her, as teenage girls weren't known for their ability to just ignore guys.

"So, December is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and I thought we would spend some time on what abuse is, how to recognize it, and what to do when you see it. This isn't going to all fit into one day, though, so today, we are going to start with what abuse is." Bella scanned the group. "Mindy, what is abuse?"

"Um, when someone hits you?" she responded meekly, making it sound like a question, rather than an answer.

"Well, yes, hitting is a form of physical abuse; that is correct. What other kinds of abuse might you find in a home?"

The girls batted around ideas, but most of them centered around the physical: kicking, hitting, burning with cigarettes, and hair pulling. I had no doubt that at least some of them had witnessed this at some point.

"Those are all very good and are all forms of domestic violence. But as we identify forms of abuse, I think it is also important to acknowledge the ones that might not leave a mark on the skin. Anyone want to take a stab at this?" Bella asked.

A rather large girl nearest to Bella raised her hand timidly.

Bella nodded to her and gave her a warm smile of encouragement.

"Yelling and insulting? Does that count?" the girl asked quietly.

"Yes! It absolutely counts. Continual mental and verbal abuse can do as much damage as physical abuse. Abuse is any behavior designed to gain and maintain control or power over another, and more than ten percent of the American population is affected by it each year. Abuse happens worldwide, but for now, we are going to focus on the most common types here, so that you can learn to recognize it and combat it." The girls listened to Bella with rapt attention as she described different aspects of abuse.

Then, they went through a checklist on how to recognize abusive behaviors, and they each went through the questions and dissected them, ensuring that each girl understood what it meant. Several of the girls looked uncomfortable, and I was sure Bella noticed, but to her credit, she didn't single them out.

"Okay," Bella called at the end of the session, "we've talked about what abuse is, and how to recognize it, but what we haven't done is talk about what to do if you suspect that you or someone you care about is being abused. Avery, what do you think you should do?"

Avery looked like a pretty tough girl, so I was unsurprised when she responded, "Confront the abuser. Make them understand it's not okay."

"Well, that's one approach, but I wouldn't suggest it. It's important to remember that most abusers are trying to maintain control, and by confronting them, you will only make them feel more powerless. They are liable to react . . . badly, and no one wants you to get hurt as well. Does anyone else have any ideas?" Bella asked.

Avery nodded to indicate she understood, but crossed her arms over her chest anyway.

"Tell someone you trust," a small girl on the opposite side of the circle said timidly.

Bella smiled. "Yes! Tell an adult you trust. You all have teachers, counselors, parents, relatives, policemen, and everyone here that you can turn to. If you suspect that a friend or family member is being abused, talk to them, encourage them to come forward. They may be scared, beaten down, depressed, ashamed, or confused, and will need whatever support you can offer. Abusers tend to isolate their victims, so they may need to lean on you, but it could be your support that saves their life."

A knock on the door ripped everyone's attention away, and a middle-aged woman poked her head in. "It's time," she said, and smiled widely when all the girls groaned.

"Thanks, Kate," Bella said with her own smile, and Kate backed out of the room. "Okay, girls, we are going to talk more about this on Wednesday. I know that you all have homework to do, but I want you all to take a bit of time and do a little research of your own. Be prepared to share!"

The girls all agreed and grabbed their book bags, before heading out of the room.

I helped Bella fold up the chairs and put them away.

"What did you think?" she asked a little nervously.

"I think you did a great job. Your research really paid off," I told her sincerely as we shut off the lights. "I didn't know even half of that."

"Well, I'm glad I could teach you something today!" she said playfully.

I wiggled my eyebrows. "You can teach me something else later," I said suggestively with a smile.

Bella smacked my arm and laughed. "God, your mind is always in the gutter!"

"Well, yeah," I laughed. With a smile, I reached for her hand and laced our fingers, swinging them lightly as we walked through the hallways.

The security detail was waiting for us outside near the curb, but before we could get down to them, a familiar figure loped across the concrete steps.

"Well, hello there, Cullens," he called to us in a mock-friendly voice as he approached.

I pulled Bella close to me and tried to signal to the guards, but before I could do much, he was there in front of us. He reached for Bella's hand and kissed the back of it, before she could yank it away.

"What can we do for you, James?" I asked curtly, not wanting him to know we were on to his games, but not wanting to prolong the fake pleasantries, either.

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and it turned into a leer when it landed on my wife. "We haven't spent much time together these last couple of years, Edward. I thought we should all have dinner."

I raised my eyebrow, wondering where he was going with this and not wanting Bella anywhere near him. "We've never spent much time together, not even in school. What's the special occasion?"

"Oh, come now. Can't I just want to spend some time with some old friends?" He shrugged. "That, and I'm taking the business over from the old man and thought you could give me some pointers."

The casualness of his tone, the ease in which he said it, and the gleam in his eye made my skin crawl. Marcus Windemere wasn't much older than my own father, and I knew that neither of them would bear retirement well yet. That, and if Alec were to be believed, James' current business ventures weren't legitimate. Instinctively, I knew this had something to do with the situation with Bella, and I was curious as hell to see if he would tell me about it. There was, however, no way that I was exposing her to that kind of risk.

"Perhaps we can get together for dinner sometime soon," I agreed, mentally calculating where we could go that I could hide Demetri and if Emmett would go with me.

His grin widened, taking it past of the point of creepiness, and he ogled Bella openly. "Bring your little woman, here, too. I'm sure we could have a lot of fun."

I didn't miss his meaning, and pulled her even closer.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Cullen?" Liam, the head of security asked as he strolled up the steps.

A quick glance at the rest of the team showed that they had spread out and taken defensive positions around our area. All of them had hands on their weapons.

"Mr. Windemere was just leaving, as were we. Bella and I have a meeting this evening. I'll call you about dinner, James."

Swiftly, I twisted so that Bella was between Liam and me. She was trembling and staring fixedly at James. As usual, I had no idea what she was thinking.

James reached over and flicked his fingers, producing a business card with his number scrawled on the back.

With a final leer, he loped back off in the way he came, and we hurried towards the SUV in a tight group.

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't realize at first that there was a problem," Liam murmured so that only we could hear.

"You should have," I snapped quietly. "God knows you've seen enough pictures of Windemere and his crew. He never should have gotten that close to her!"

Bella laid her hand on my arm. It was still shaking. "I'm fine." She nodded, and I wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. She ducked into the vehicle, and I climbed in behind her.

"Dinner?" she asked once we were seated, and I could hear the edge in her voice.

"Something's up," I told her. "Marcus Windemere wouldn't voluntarily relinquish his business to anyone, much less his son. James was two years behind me in school, in class with Jasper, but he always made it a point to befriend upperclassman and those that would increase his stature. His father found some of his choices . . . unsettling and was rather vocal with the administration about keeping out the unsavory elements. Based upon what we know from Alec, it doesn't look like he lost those connections."

"I don't like it. He gives me the creeps." Bella crossed her arms over her chest and turned to face me.

"You aren't going anywhere near him," I declared. I wasn't kidding, either. Even if we decided to go through with the dinner, Bella wasn't attending.

"First of all, he apparently has no regard for security. Look at how close he got today!" She shivered. "Second, I don't want you near him, either!"

I sighed. "I don't want to be around him any more than you do, sweetheart, but somehow, we have to get to the bottom of this."

Bella shook her head and turned to stare out the window. "I think we should let the police handle it."

"Okay," I conceded. "We'll start with Detective Masters." I didn't have high hopes that we'd get anywhere with him, but it was a start.

Detective Masters was at his desk when we arrived, and with an apology for the mess, showed us into a conference room with boxes of files littering the floor. My attorney, Blake Michaels, arrived just after we did, introduced himself to Bella, and sat down next to me. She gave me a swift, questioning glance, and I shook my head to indicate that I'd explain later.

"Thank you for coming down here today, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. I just want to go over a few things with you regarding Alec Winters," the detective began in a business-like tone.

"Our association with Alec Winters is that of a friend of an acquaintance," I said clearly, not wanting to be dragged through his legal issues as well.

"Correct, a Ms. Tanya Spencer, I believe." Detective Masters referenced his notes, and then reopened the book to a clear page.

"I believe you already have her statement," Blake intoned. "They know nothing of Mr. Winters' situation beyond what they were told by Ms. Spencer."

Detective Masters nodded his balding head and pursed his lips. "Quite right. What I want to know more about is their relationship to James Windemere."

Bella gave off an involuntary shiver, and I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her to my side. I looked at Blake, seeking advice on how much to say, but he merely nodded to me, indicating for me to go forward.

"James Windemere went to college with my younger brother, and we knew each other only by association. He . . . ran with a different crowd than I did. Our families are acquainted, and through that tie, he was invited to my wedding. During the course of the reception, James provided me with unsolicited information that I believe was designed to—" I paused, trying to choose the right word, "—break up the relationship."

"And what information was that?" Detective Masters asked without looking up from his notes.

I chanced a look over at Blake, and he shook his head lightly. It was clear that he didn't feel it prudent for me to divulge that information, so I replied, "Personal information regarding my wife."

"And that was?" Masters led.

"I'd rather not say," I replied evenly.

He started to open his mouth again to press further, but stopped after Blake cleared his throat. He scanned his notes. "During the time period indicated by Ms. Spencer, did you have any further contact with Mr. Windemere?"

"No. There was no contact with Mr. Windemere or any of his associates until this past September," I stated firmly.

Detective Masters' head shot up in surprise. "This past September?"

Bella squeezed my hand and sat up straighter in her chair. "Yes, on September twenty-first, I went to a dance club with one of my best friends. While I was there, I danced with a young man, and later he kissed me—without my permission. A few days later, pictures of that incident were hand delivered to Edward."

"And you think this has something to do with the Windemere family . . . why?"

I explained how we'd tracked down the young man that delivered the pictures, and how Laurent, an employee of the Windemere family, had paid him to drop them off. I left out the parts that could have gotten Demetri into trouble; hacking into the city's camera system wasn't exactly model behavior.

Detective Masters was writing fast and furious on his pad, referencing timelines in other information that he had. "Have there been any other interactions with Mr. Windemere?"

"We ran into him at a movie theatre when we were at Bella's parents' house, and there have been people following her since. We've seen them each time we've been out, including on Black Friday," I informed him.

"He accosted us on our way here today, too," Bella blurted.

"Did he say anything on either occasion?" Detective Masters ask calmly.

"Nothing the first time; he just looked at me like he wanted to eat me, and it really freaked me out. This time, he told Edward that he wanted to go out to dinner with us and 'have fun' with me," Bella told him. "He really freaks me out, Detective."

Masters thumped his pen against his paper and looked pensive. "Why do you think he has such a fascination with you?"

I stiffened immediately, because by his derisive tone, I could tell that he didn't believe it.

Bella didn't catch his inflection. "We're aren't entirely sure, but we think it has to do with some land I inherited upon my marriage," Bella informed him.

He nodded placatingly. "Well, keep your eyes open. He hasn't done anything illegal where you are concerned, but we'll keep an eye on him." It was his version of a dismissal.

Blake furrowed his brow and stood between us. "What exactly did you hope to learn here today, Detective?"

"I merely wanted to confirm as much of Ms. Spencer's confession as possible and to fill any possible holes. If, as they've stated, that any communication with Mr. Windemere in two years has been recent, then that tells me what I need to know. I'll be frank with you. Other than Ms. Spencer's statement, no one has been able to directly James Windemere in any illegal activity. He keeps his nose clean, and if he is involved in criminal activity, he manages to keep himself just far enough removed to stay out of the spotlight. Mr. Winters refuses to tell us to whom he owed money, so we can do nothing about that. That said, I know that he is hiding something, and I want to know what it is. If you have any information I can use, I'd like to know of it as soon as possible," Detective Masters said.

Bella's shoulders slumped. "All I know is that had I not married, and my father passed away, the land I inherited would go to Marcus Windemere. He's my father's second cousin or something. We've thought his interference and threatening attitude toward me were because of that."

"Tell you what; send me over what information you have on that land, and I'll look into it. Perhaps possessing it would make his activities easier," he suggested.

"Perhaps. I think my father-in-law emailed over the plats, so I'll send them over," I agreed.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen. And as for that dinner meeting he wants, I can't tell you not to go, but I can tell you that we consider him dangerous, especially in light of what happened with Mr. Winters."

I shook his hand and wrapped my arm around Bella's waist, while she did the same. Blake followed us from the office and reiterated that the dinner was a bad idea without council present and that we should call him if there was any more unwanted contact.

Bella was silent as we walked back to the car. Half-way home, when she finally spoke, her voice was firm.

"You're going to dinner with him, aren't you?"

I glanced over at her and nodded once. "I was thinking about it. This can't continue. The police can't do anything, and he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants."

"And you want to know what that is." She phrased it as a statement, leaving me no doubt that she knew where my thoughts were.

"Yes," I answered unnecessarily.

She was quiet for a few more minutes, but broke it when we pulled into the driveway. "I'm going with you."

"No. Absolutely not." I shook my head firmly and pursed my lips into a thin line. There was no way I was letting her within ten feet of him if I could help it.

"Edward—"

"Bella, no!" I cut her off. "I don't know whether he wants the land or something else to keep his business thriving. What I do know is that he wants something from you. He's not a good guy that does bad things, Bella. He's a bad guy that does worse things. And if he wants you, he's not going to let a crowded restaurant deter him."

She huffed and yanked at the door handle. It was still locked, so she spun back and faced me. Her eyes flashed in anger. "And what about you, Edward? Do you honestly think that the only way he can hurt me is if I'm present?"

I smiled grimly and kissed her. "I love you. I would never put myself in danger and take me away from you again. I'm going to talk to Emmett and Jasper. Maybe if he thinks we are all looking to supplant Dad, he'll buy it."

She raised her eyebrow, but nodded. "Fine, but I want to be kept informed, and I want to be there when you talk."

"Deal." The security staff let us out, and we walked into the house, hand in hand, but in silence.

"Meet me in the rec room in fifteen?" I suggested. "You get Alice and Rose?"

She agreed and kissed me quickly, running off in the direction of Alice and Jasper's room.

I found Emmett and Jasper already in the rec room, playing Call of Duty. Since they were there already, I backtracked to the kitchen, since Bella and I had missed dinner. I threw together a couple of sandwiches and grabbed a bag of chips, before making my way back.

"I need your help," I announced as I flopped down onto the couch.

"What's up?" Emmett asked, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"Yeah, what's this about?" Rosalie asked, as she, Bella, and Alice strolled in.

I sighed and handed Bella her sandwich. She gave me a small smile in thanks and motioned for me to go ahead.

"This afternoon, James cornered us as we were leaving New Horizons. He said he's taking over his father's business and wants to go to dinner with me to talk about it." I further explained how he'd acted toward Bella and the uneasiness we both felt. I also relayed all of Detective Masters information and their inability to tie James to any of it.

"There's no way she can be there for that!" Emmett declared when I laid out my plan for dinner.

"I agree. But I thought that if the three of us went together, we might be able to convince him that we are doing the same thing to Dad, and maybe he'd let slip what he's after," I stated.

"And how do you intend to keep the three of you safe?" Alice asked. "This is the guy that had Alec's legs broken."

For the next hour, we discussed strategy and possible locations in which we could easily conceal Demetri or Liam. None of the girls were particularly thrilled with what we came up with, but if we were going through with our plan, there weren't many other viable options.

Finally, with my wife in my lap and my brothers next to me, I pulled out James' card and dialed.

"James? Hey, it's Edward Cullen. I talked to my brothers, and I'm calling about that dinner."

**I hope you enjoyed it this week! As always, let me know what you thought. Please don't forget about Fandom for Floods, our flood relief effort for the people of Australia that are dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods and tornados. No matter the size of the donation, you'll get a compilation from some of your favorite authors. I contributed an outtake from this story, written for the lovely swimom7 at her request. I hope you enjoy it. **

**I failed on recs last week, so I have two for you this week. **

**Quiet Storm by SexyLexiCullen: It is the best combination of comedy and drama I've read in a long time. Go read it. **

**Parenthetical Love by LyricalKris: What happens when a clinic messes up and the child you planned for isn't the one you get? I absolutely love it. **

**Have a great week and I'll see you on the forum!**


	25. Chapter 25: Dinner

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I own this plot and nothing else. Glad we're clear. **

**A/N: Swimom7 and Jenny Cullen pulled beta duty for me this week and I'm so grateful for them. Really, they make it better. Bonnysammy's still fighting with HP so send some happy thoughts her way that they get her computer fixed before she goes crazy. Welcome to all my new readers. I love hearing from you and finding out where you stumbled across this story of mine. Um, I sucked at answering reviews, so if you haven't gotten my reply yet, you will, but it will be late. I was sick and trying to work on the beast that will be chapter 26. That's my only excuse. Sorry. **

**Chapter 25: Dinner**

**BPOV**

It was safe to say that I didn't like this plan.

The boys were meeting James for dinner at Morton's Steakhouse on Thursday night. In an effort to gain his trust, they were going to pretend to be covertly undermining Carlisle and attempting to wrest control from him. Edward was determined that it was the only way that James would trust them enough to confide in them.

We made a few other contingency plans, as well. The boys told Carlisle what they were planning and what they suspected James was doing with Marcus. Rose picked up a digital recorder, and we planned to record the entire conversation through the phone. Edward would dial my number, and I would put the call on speakerphone to ensure that we had it all on tape. We briefly considered having him take the recorder with him, but Jasper dismissed that idea by reminding us that if it were found, things could get ugly.

In the meantime, we stuck to our normal routines. I went to New Horizons on Wednesday afternoon, and Bally's on Thursday morning with Esme. There was a lingering strain between us, mostly because I hadn't completely forgiven any of the Cullens for making me feel less than Tanya in their eyes, but we put it all aside to focus on the children at the hospital and our worries over the coming evening.

I'd become a little more desperate with Edward, too, although I didn't think he minded all that much. It was like we were making up for lost time in our intimate moments, and while I didn't want to think that I was storing them up, I kind of was. There was no doubt in my mind that James was dangerous. I just didn't know why he'd chosen to target me.

As soon as we got home from Bally's, I went straight to Edward's office. He was leaving in about three hours, and I was determined to spend whatever time with him that I could before then.

"Hey, baby." He greeted me with a smile when I walked in and shut the door behind me.

"Hey. What are you working on?" I asked.

He scooted back his chair, and I crossed the room quickly, sitting crosswise on his legs and tucking my head onto his shoulder.

He shrugged. "Just reading over some reports. Nothing earth-shattering. What are you doing for the rest of the afternoon?" He kissed my forehead, and I grinned.

"You, hopefully," I answered.

He froze for just a fraction of a second, before his arms slid tighter around me and one hand found its way underneath my shirt. "Me, huh? I think I can work with that. Just what do you want to do to me?" I could hear his teasing lilt, but his hand on my side was telling me just how much he wanted me to be serious.

I leaned up and pulled his earlobe into my mouth, sucking lightly. "I was thinking that I'd like to ride you, right here in this office chair," I whispered into his ear. Truthfully, I didn't even know if it was possible, but it sounded like fun. Clearly, I'd been reading too many romance novels.

"You want . . . wha?" Edward mumbled incoherently, shifting me so that I was straddling his lap. His other hand joined the first underneath my shirt, and they were both trailing dangerously close to my aching nipples.

I smiled against his neck where I'd been kissing. "You. Right here. Right now."

Edward's head fell backward against the back of the chair. "Oh God, Bella. You . . . that's . . . you have no idea how many times I've wanted you here."

"Then, let's do it," I said impishly. I knew he'd give in.

"But it's the middle of the day," he protested half-heartedly. He was pretending to fight, I guessed, to see if this was really what I wanted.

I pulled back and flashed him a smile. "And I locked the door. We passed your dad leaving on our way in, so we should be all by ourselves back here."

In a flash, those hands rubbing the undersides of my breasts were latched on to the hem of my shirt and yanking it upwards. He left out a combination moan and happy sigh when he took in the sight of my dark blue lacy bra. Edward cupped my breasts gently and ran his thumbs over my nipples, which pebbled instantly through the thin fabric.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmured.

I rolled my hips against his, and my head fell back at the sheer pleasure of feeling him hard and ready against me.

Edward's nimble fingers tugged the cup down, and his lips closed over my peak, while his other hand rolled and pinched the other. Moisture soaked my panties, and I wanted nothing more than to feel him without the barriers of our clothes.

"Please, Edward," I begged. "I need you." And I did need him. I not only needed him home and safe with me after this meeting tonight, but right now, I needed him inside me, reminding me of his love, before he risked his own safety to protect mine.

He didn't respond; he just scraped my nipple with his teeth and switched sides. I moaned again and pushed against him, wanting friction in any way I could get it.

"Patience, love," he chided. "Don't worry, I fully plan on fucking you against my desk, but it would be a damn shame to waste what time I have with these."

He returned to showering my breasts with licks, sucks, and kisses, and my body responded accordingly. I could feel myself become wetter with each nibble and lick, and I was a panting mess by the time he pulled away.

He looked me up and down and smirked at me. "These pants? Off. Now," he ordered.

I'd never heard this side of Edward, at least not when we were intimate. And I liked it. A lot.

I slid of his lap and slid my khakis off my hips; they pooled around my feet. Then, I hooked my fingers in the sides of my matching panties.

Edward stopped me. "No, leave them." He prowled around me with an appreciative gleam in his eye.

His large hands found my hips and shifted me to the edge of his desk. One long finger trailed across my lower cheek and between my thighs, skimming up my slit, over my panties, and pushed them to the side.

"You're so wet for me," he whispered into my ear, blowing my hair out of the way. "I want you, right here, right now. Would you like that, my love?"

"Mmmhmm," I moaned, his husky voice making me even hotter than I already was. "Please."

I heard the clink of his belt and the parting of his zipper, and then I felt his warm body pressed up against me, his body folded over mine as I leaned down.

I could feel him between my legs, as his hands trailed down my sides, paying special attention to my breasts on the way down and coming to rest of my hips. Edward placed kisses down my spine and shifted my hips back.

"Are you ready for me, my Bella?"

I nodded eagerly, and Edward thrust into me in one move. We moaned simultaneously, and I reveled in the feeling of being full once again. It didn't last long, because Edward pulled almost all the way out, and then slammed back into me.

Unlike our previous encounters, this wasn't gentle. It was passionate and exciting and . . . fucking. Plain and simple.

Edward held tight to my hips as he thrust into me. He was hitting spots inside of me that I didn't even know existed and careening me towards a massive orgasm. I could feel each ridge of his dick as he slid in and out of me. Each time Edward held a little tighter, tingles shot through me and sent me soaring even higher.

"Come for me, baby," Edward grunted.

"I'm so close. Don't stop," I begged. Three more thrusts, and I flew off the cliff, calling his name as I did so.

He cried out with his own orgasm and stilled as he spilled into me. Moments later, I felt his weight against my back and his trembling arms next to my sides. With one last spurt of effort, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his lap on the floor.

"That was . . . I love you," he whispered, cradling me into his body.

I hummed against his neck and nodded my agreement. "Love you, too," I mumbled. I felt completely boneless and blissful.

He held me for several minutes, and I relished being this close to him. I might fear for him later, but right now, I was completely content in his arms.

"So, did that fulfill your fantasy?" I asked, teasing, when I finally found the energy to shift and look at him.

He grinned wolfishly. "Nope. It blew it out of the water!" He grew quiet for a moment and looked at me seriously. "I love you, Bella. With my whole heart. No matter how this meeting tonight goes, I'm coming home to you. I will always come home to you. Do you understand?"

A tear slipped down my check, and I nodded, holding his gaze with my own. "I'm just worried, Edward. What if he tries to hurt you? I, I can't . . ." I trailed off, unable to finish the thought that had plagued me all week.

"Bella, I promise you that I won't let anything happen to me." He held my face like it was precious to him and kissed me sweetly. "I'll be home this evening, hopefully with a little more information than I had before, and maybe with enough to keep you safe and by my side for the next fifty years."

"Thank you," I whispered thickly, nuzzling into his neck.

His arms tightened, and I snuggled close to him. It was the most peaceful we'd been in days.

The doorknob rattled and startled us both. "Edward?" Carlisle called through the door.

We both jumped and looked at each other in shock. I was still mostly naked, only in my lingerie, and Edward wasn't wearing pants.

"Just a second, Dad," Edward yelled back, attempting to suppress the mirth in his voice. He looked at me, and we both burst into laughter.

I rose from his lap and started grabbing my clothes, getting dressed as quickly as I could. "I guess he's back from his meeting," I whispered.

"Thank God he wasn't here a little bit ago," Edward whispered back.

I spun around and glared at him. "You don't think someone could have heard us?"

He chuckled. "We weren't exactly quiet, Bella. Let's just say that it's good thing he was gone."

I panicked. Having sex in here had been a bad idea. Anyone could have walked by, and, oh God, what if Esme heard us?

"Bella." Edward grasped my shoulders and spun me to face him. "Stop. Please. I love you, and I don't care who knows. No one heard us, and if they did, it's not the end of the world." He pressed his lips to mine, and I lost myself in the feel of him.

We parted with a final kiss, and he straightened my shirt. "Now, get out of here," he said with a wink. "Aren't you making dinner for the girls so you all can eat around the phone?"

"Yeah," I told him with a smile. "When are you leaving?"

"In about two hours now. I'll find you before we leave. I promise."

I kissed him again and left the office quickly, looking left and right to make sure no one was watching. I ran up to our room and changed into my yoga pants and a T-shirt. They were comfortable clothes for my frustration for the evening, and after our escapades in Edward's office, I needed the lack of restriction. I was . . . deliciously sore.

The guys were going out for steaks, and we had decided on nachos for dinner. They were an easy finger food to eat, and we could cloister ourselves in the rec room around my phone while eating them. Methodically, I worked to prepare each ingredient, trying to take my mind off the meeting I knew was coming. Each tomato was diced to perfection, the lettuce was hand shredded, and the cheese grated. I wouldn't cook the meat until the boys left, because it would just get cold.

I'd underestimated the time I'd spent in the kitchen, though. Within minutes of me replacing the vegetables in the refrigerator, the kitchen door swung open, and Edward stood, ready to leave.

With one look at my expression, he crossed the room in three strides and gathered me into his arms. "I promise you, baby, I'll be fine, and I'll be home with you in no time."

I leaned back, and his mouth found mine instantly. His kiss was hard and intense—he was feeling the strain as much as I was.

"I love you," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears.

"As I love you. I'll call you when we get there, okay? Just like we planned." He continued to reassure me for a few more minutes, before Emmett came to retrieve him.

I watched them walk away with a heavy heart, and with only the sound of sizzling meat to soothe me.

TaM

"Why did we agree to this again?" Alice wondered as we sat on the couch in the rec room, eating nachos and willing my phone to ring. "I mean, this has got to be the dumbest plan ever."

"I'm not thrilled about it," Carlisle muttered as he and Esme walked in with their own food. "Do you mind if we join you?"

Alice and Rose waved them over, and they pulled their chairs up to the other side of the table. They hadn't been settled long, when my phone chimed.

_Going in now. Will call as soon as I see him. Love you._

My lips turned up in a smile automatically, and when I looked up, there were four pairs of eyes on me, each accompanied by their own smile.

Before my embarrassment could flood me, though, my phone rang. I hit the button to answer on speakerphone, and immediately hit the mute button. I didn't want any noise on our end to give the game away. Rosalie clicked on the recorder.

The sounds of the busy restaurant filtered through the phone, and I could just make out Emmett's voice over the din, though I couldn't understand what he was saying.

Suddenly, the background noise died down, and I shivered as I heard a clear voice ring through the speaker.

"_Edward! Good to see you. Emmett, Jasper."_ The rustle of clothing indicated that they were shaking hands and sitting at the table. _"Where's your little woman tonight?"_

I could hear the tension in Edward's voice, but he masked it well. _"I left her at home. This didn't really involve her, right, so why bring her?"_ I knew his words were a show for James, but I couldn't deny that they stung a little.

"_True, but it's a damn shame she didn't come."_ I could almost see James' leer in my mind. _"I don't mind mixing a little business and pleasure."_

The waitress interrupted and took their drink orders. Rosalie's phone chirped with a text from Emmett.

_This guy is a real creep. Tell Bella it's good she's not here. _

We listened while they chatted about inconsequential things, nothing of great importance, until the waitress had brought their drinks and taken their orders.

"_So, tell me what you wanted to know, James."_ Edward's voice came through, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"_My father and I have a different viewpoint on how things should run. I have some ideas that would increase our profits, but he refuses to hear them. I'm going to take those parts that I do have control over, make them more profitable, and then take control over the rest. That's what you've been doing, right?"_ James asked.

Edward cleared his throat. _"Yeah, Jasper and Emmett have been working on the land holdings, and I've taken over most of the business dealings. We've done it little by little, so he hasn't really noticed. We just have him playing golf a little more." _

"_Has it gone . . . smoothly, then?"_ he asked interestedly.

Edward and Jasper spelled out the details that we'd discussed on how they had slowly eroded Carlisle's control of his enterprise. James asked a few questions, and they had to wing their answers a time or two, since we apparently hadn't thought of everything. It was lucky for them that Edward had such intimate knowledge already, or this wouldn't have worked as well as it did.

"Good Lord, I'm glad I trust my sons," Carlisle muttered as he listened to them talk about the demise of his role.

Esme smiled and patted his arm, shushing him so that she could listen closer to what was being said.

The discussion was briefly stalled when their meals were delivered, but it started again with a random question here or there. Emmett asked James where he was thinking of taking his father's business, ostensibly to see if there was a chance for cooperation.

"_Ah, well, I've been working to break into some other markets, enterprises."_ He carefully avoided the mention of the less legal things he was working on. _"There are some things we might be able to collaborate on, though, Edward."_

"_Oh really? Do tell,"_ Edward said.

"_Yeah, you, ah, inherited some land when you married Bella, right?" _James asked, trying to sound somewhat disinterested and failing miserably.

"_I did. I've actually been looking at it lately. Which part interests you?"_

"_There's a big industrial development along the southern edge, with shipping docks and rail access, I believe. It might be useful for me to have access to those, and I'd be willing to pay handsomely."_

Shipping ports. This whole mess was about shipping access? I didn't understand why he needed that access so badly. Surely there were other ways he could move his product that didn't include threatening me?

Edward responded, but I missed what he said, too lost in my thoughts to hear the rest of the conversation. It was only when my own name came through the phone that I snapped back to attention.

"—_Bella. I understand things aren't going so well. I could . . . take her off your hands for you,"_ James offered.

Edward laughed, but it wasn't genuine. _"Nah, I'll keep her around."_

"_She's a pretty trophy, Edward,"_ James agreed. _"Man, I would like to have a piece of that, especially the way she looked on your wedding day. Mmmm."_

"_Bella's a . . . good wife,"_ Edward said, somewhat stiltedly.

James laughed loudly. _"Wife! Well, I suppose. It's not like you don't find your . . . pleasure elsewhere. It's a good cover for you. I'll admit, I should have manned up and made the offer to break her in for you years ago, but I thought it might be bad form. Now, though . . ."_ James trailed off.

Emmett coughed. _"Now though?"_

"_I'll still break her in,"_ James responded, and his voice had taken on a more sinister tone.

"_I think I can manage on my own,"_ Edward responded coolly.

"_Eh, just an offer between friends,"_ James said, and I could almost hear his shrug. _"Let her know I offered. She might want to get hers elsewhere, too."_

Some utensil clattered against a plate, and there was a rustling that covered any conversation. Minutes passed where we heard nothing, and when James' voice returned, we all jumped.

"_Boys, thanks for all the info tonight. I've got some business to attend to downtown, so I have to be off. I've already covered the bill with the manager. And Edward, don't forget my offer—either of them."_

"_I won't forget. Have a good night, James,"_ Edward said evenly.

Jasper and Emmett offered their own goodbyes, and silence reined for several seconds.

"_Son of a bitch!"_ Emmett swore, presumably when James was out of earshot. _"Girls, we'll be home soon."_

Then, the line went dead.

With wide eyes, we all stared at each other, wondering what in the world we'd just heard.

"Did he-" Rosalie started to say, but shook her head and cut herself off.

"No, surely not," Esme said quietly.

All I could do was stare and swallow. Unless I was much mistaken, James had made Edward a proposition for . . . me. Was it really that simple? I'd almost convinced myself that I'd misheard him, when I realized that everyone was staring at me.

"You aren't leaving this house," Carlisle stated firmly. "He can't get to you here."

I bristled. "I can't be a prisoner in my own home, Carlisle!"

He looked pained. "It's not that, Bella. I just . . . I can't . . ." He fumbled through his words, and I could hear his nervousness and fear. "He can't get you."

The front door slammed, and feet pounded across the foyer. The door to the rec room burst open, and Edward strode through, looking wild. His hair was sticking up, as if he'd been running his hands through it constantly. His eyes scanned the room, until they fell on me. Eyes locked with mine, he lifted me from the couch and held me tightly to him.

"How did you get here so fast?" I heard Rosalie whisper to Emmett.

"He drove, like, ninety the whole way. Can't blame him, though. You didn't see him, Rose." Emmett shivered.

The other couples were talking about the dinner, but Edward just hugged me tightly, afraid to let go even a hairsbreadth.

"I'm okay," I whispered to him. "I'm here."

"I know," he whispered back. "I just . . . I can't lose you, Bella. And he wants you."

I curled my arms up his back and pressed my face into his chest. The room could have crumbled around us in that moment, and we wouldn't have noticed. We were in our own little bubble.

As bubbles do, though, our moment burst, and we were brought firmly back into reality.

"What's the plan, son?" Carlisle asked, staring at Edward worriedly.

Edward loosened his hold on me, but clasped my hand and held it as we sat down on the couch. The rest of the family sat with us and looked to him for guidance.

"I have no idea. We saw the shipping area he was talking about, but if that's what it was about, it wouldn't be hard to rent a warehouse space. He could easily use one of their current businesses as a front if he needed to move something illegal."

"Not if he didn't want any evidence that he was ever there," Emmett pointed out.

"It's not about the shipping," Jasper cut in, clearly on edge. "He made that abundantly clear at the end."

"But why Bella?" Rose asked, bewildered. "I mean, she's pretty and all, but she's no Helen of Troy. Her age? If he was into that sort of thing, she'd be too old for him now."

I snorted. "Gee thanks, Rose. Way to make a girl feel better about herself." I wasn't really offended, mostly because I whole-heartedly agreed with her. I was just trying to lighten the mood.

Rose rolled her eyes and smiled at me. "Sure, sure, Aphrodite. But really? Did you know him before?"

"No." I shook my head. "I'd see him at the occasional wedding or funeral, but other than knowing he freaks me out, I don't know him at all."

"Maybe he just wants what he can't have," Alice suggested when the room fell silent. "Marcus Windemere has two sons, right? Caden and James. If James is taking over from Marcus, that means he's cutting out Caden, too."

"It was Marcus that would have inherited the land, not James," I added. "Could he be trying to take it all, and I'm part of that?"

"He doesn't want you for the land, Bella," Emmett stated harshly. "His motives might be twofold where you are concerned, but the primary one isn't a few acres of concrete."

Edward had been staring off into space, and suddenly, his head snapped back. "He got too close on Monday, and next time, I don't think he'll be so . . . talkative."

"You think he'll try something?" Esme whispered, the lines on her face creasing with worry.

All three boys nodded. "Yes, he'll try," Edward confirmed.

Later, once we'd escaped to our room, Edward made me promise not to venture out on my own for a while. "I'm not going to keep you locked in the house," he argued exasperatedly. "I just want you safe."

"I get that," I sighed. "But I can't quit living my life, just because he's a total creep!"

"You can't take unnecessary risks, either, baby," he said quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose and pacing.

I placed my hand on his arm, and he stilled. "I know what I heard, and I know what you all said when you came home. What did you really think he meant?"

His eyes fell closed, and he pulled me to him again. "There's no way I can accurately explain to you the look in his eyes, Bella. He physically reacted to just the thought of you. I'm not sure, though, whether his . . . excitement was fueled by your age, status, or if it is simply you. There's no doubt in my mind that had he had the opportunity, he would have taken advantage of you—roughly—when we got married."

"Does he . . . does he have a thing for young girls?" I asked tentatively, not sure if I wanted to know the answer to that.

He shrugged. "He has a thing for a young you, and that's all I really care about. Demetri's checking into it, though. The more information we have against him, the better."

"But I'm not fifteen any more," I argued.

Edward's hands snaked down my back and grabbed my ass. "Thank God for that," he murmured into my ear, and then took my earlobe into his mouth, nibbling and sucking lightly.

I couldn't repress the moan that came out of my mouth. I also couldn't control my hands from sliding down his back, either, and cupping his backside.

"I need you, Bella," he whispered huskily. "I need to feel you around me."

I tilted my head so that I could have better access to his lips and pressed my mouth to his, hard. The kiss was frantic and full of our shared need. Within seconds, Edward lifted me up, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to hold on, never once breaking our kiss.

I hadn't felt us moving, too consumed in my own lust to think about anything else, but Edward had traveled across the room and set me down on the edge of the bed.

"Take that shirt off," he ordered, while unbuttoning his own.

I yanked it over my head, threw it on the floor, and then went to work on my jeans. We were frenzied, and I was sure that I'd never gotten naked this quickly in my life.

There were times that I couldn't believe my luck, that Edward was really mine and mine alone. He stood in front of me, bare-chested, and I couldn't help but drool. His pecs and abs were chiseled, but not abnormally so. There was a light coating of dark hair across his chest and at the lower part of his stomach. I knew what it led to, and parts of me did actually get wetter. Sometimes, I pondered, just looking at him was foreplay in and of itself.

His slacks slid off his hips and on to the floor in a heap, revealing a very large bulge in his boxer briefs. He hooked his thumbs in them and shoved them off his body. That body . . . I knew what that body could do to me, and I shivered in anticipation.

Edward stalked toward me, and I scooted up the bed, not really to get away from him, but for the chase. He didn't let me get far, before he grabbed my ankle and yanked me backwards. Without warning, his head fell between my legs, and his tongue licked up and down my slit furiously. He groaned against me, and the vibrations traveled straight through me, igniting my fire like gasoline. Two fingers caressed my opening, and then slipped inside me, pumping me while his tongue worked my clit.

I cried out in pleasure, hearing most of the nonsense I spouted as if someone else were shouting. I was almost there, ready to fly into ecstasy, when I felt suddenly exposed and bereft. Edward's mouth and fingers were no longer on me. I wasn't allowed to come down for long. He grabbed my legs and propped my ankles on his shoulders, just before he pounded into me.

One push was all it took to set me off. I screamed his name and spurred him on. He pounded harder and harder, each thrust scooting me on the bed, until he latched onto my hips and held on tightly. It was the most unrestrained I'd ever seen my husband, and I was more turned on than I'd ever been. It was raw and frantic.

"Touch yourself for me, baby," he called, his neck tight with strain. "I want to feel you come on me again."

I did just as he ordered. One hand pinched and pulled on my nipples, while the other made circles on my clit. With that hand, I could feel Edward sliding in and out of me, and it sent me careening into orgasm again. Mine triggered Edward's, and he thrust erratically.

"Fuck . . . shit . . . Bella . . ." he yelled as he came, his eyes screwed up tight in pleasure and pain. Once again, power flooded me as I saw what I did to my strong and stoic man. He collapsed on top of me, rolling to the side before he could crush me.

We were both panting hard and sweating, but that didn't stop him from pulling me into his side and kissing me passionately.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked when he pulled away. He was still breathing heavily, but running his hands over my side gently.

I shook my head. "No, that was incredible. We can do that again anytime you want."

He laughed lightheartedly and kissed the side of my head.

"In fact," I added, "I rather like seeing this possessive side of you."

Edward laughed again. "Good, because he can't have you."

All joking aside, I knew that Edward would protect me and wouldn't let anything happen to me. For now, at this moment, I was safe in my lover's arms.

**Hmmm, so do you think James laid it all out on the table or do you think he's still got something up his sleeve? Is he really that smart? **

**I have a few recs this week. When you are sitting up at night coughing or with a bloody nose, there's not much else to do. Thanks to those who rec'd them to me as well. You guys rock. **

**A Quiet Fire by Magnolia822—Bella and Edward meet again after being apart for 10 years. Can they repair the damage? It's a must read. I'm telling you. **

**The Last Breath and The Long Way Home by First Blush—This is WWII Edward at his finest. TLB is complete and TLWH is a companion piece. If you haven't read it and you like historical fic, you won't regret it. **

**The Mail Order Bride by Lady Gwynedd—Again, historical fic. Set in the late 1800's, Edward and Bella "meet" through a mail-order catalog and she travels across the country to be his bride. The Lady has done her homework and works hard to keep it as accurate as possible. **


	26. Chapter 26: The InLaws: Part 1

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this plot. Stealing is wrong. **

**A/N: Thank you Jenny Cullen and swimom7 for betaing this beast for me. I love you guys hard! **

**This chapter was originally almost 12,000 words. I started writing and just couldn't stop. Instead of posting it in its original form, I've split it into two parts and I'll post the next one as chapter 27. **

**We've had a lot of new readers this week! Thanks for joining and I'd love to know how you heard about this little ditty of mine. **

**Chapter 26: The In-Laws: Part 1**

**EPOV**

James' timing couldn't have been worse. Because it was the end of the year and I was taking time off around Christmas, I had to go on several business trips in the week and a half between our dinner and when Bella and I were leaving for her parents' house.

Bella also had her sessions at New Horizons, their holiday party, and the Bally's celebrations to focus on and attend. With so many people crowded at these very public events, keeping her safe would be a real challenge, especially since I wouldn't be able to be there standing by her side.

Bella and I had lain together after I'd taken her so roughly, and she'd listened while I'd explained my fears where James was concerned. Instead of just insisting that she'd be fine—like she usually did—Bella took me at my word and promised me she'd keep herself safe for me . . . for us. We both knew that whatever his game was, he wouldn't stop playing it until he got what he wanted, and I had no intention of letting that happen.

For her part, Bella had limited her excursions to occasions when at least one member of the family could accompany her, along with the security team. She confessed to me over the phone that she was afraid she was becoming paranoid, because she thought saw James or one of his cronies everywhere she went. It broke my heart that I couldn't be there every night to reassure her, but I did the best I could.

Traveling did make it easier to finalize Bella's Christmas presents, though, without her overhearing or finding them. I had everything delivered to the Swans' house, so I didn't have to worry about transporting it down there. And I was even more thankful for that when I saw the back of Bella's car when I arrived home on the evening of the twenty-first.

"Bella? Is there going to be any room for us in there?" I asked in disbelief. The backseat was piled high with wrapped packages. I had no idea we'd bought that much for her parents.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, dear. I just put all the presents in the backseat. The trunk's still empty, so we'll have room for our luggage."

"But . . . who are all those for? We're just going to see your mom and dad, right?" I asked cluelessly.

She shrugged. "Mom, Dad, you, Angela, Ben, and my grandmother. It's really not that much; some of them just take up more room."

"Are we going to see your grandmother?" I asked nervously. She hadn't said anything about that, and based upon what both she and Charlie had said, I wasn't looking forward to that.

Bella giggled. "No, but my mother is."

I hadn't talked to Charlie in a couple of days—although our conversations had gotten a lot more frequent lately—so this was a new development. I just couldn't believe that Renee wouldn't bury her own feelings to spend Christmas with her daughter.

"What?" I took the shirt Bella was packing from her hands and spun her to face me. "She's not going to be there for Christmas?"

"My mom?" Bella gave me a strange look. "Yeah, she will be. She and Dad are going down after we leave."

My tension melted away. I didn't want to have to deal with Bella's mother being a complete bitch the entire weekend, but I also didn't like being the cause of their strife.

"Hey," Bella said gently, stroking my face with the pads of her fingers, "it'll be fine. I've actually talked to her several times this week. She'll be on her best behavior. In the meantime, we need to get packed and spend some time with your family. Alice is really upset that we won't be here for Christmas this year. She understands, but she's really going to miss both of us."

Truth be told, I was really going to miss the rest of my family, too. I'd never spent Christmas away from them, and while Bella's comfort and happiness were all that mattered, it made me a little sad, as well, that because of my actions, Christmas would be forever changed. No matter how much progress we made, or how much forgiveness was doled out, there would always be repercussions, and I would have to live with that.

I knew already that I would leave my packing for the last minute, so there wasn't much need for me to worry about it now. Instead, I suggested that we have dinner with Alice and Jasper tonight, since we'd be leaving early Saturday morning.

We settled on our local bar and grille, where there wasn't much separation of the restaurant and the bar scene. Jasper and I watched the games, while Bella and Alice talked. Bella laughed more than I'd heard in a while, making my heart warm. Her eyes and hands were animated as they gossiped, and occasionally, she'd reach over and brush against me. Sometimes, she'd glance over and catch my eye, giving me a small smile that lit up her eyes.

"Did you see that shot?" Jasper shouted, slapping me on the arm and breaking me away from my thoughts. "Damn, you missed it, didn't you? Argh!"

I laughed at him. "I'm sure they'll show it on the replay." I pointed at the television. "See—damn, that _was_ a good shot."

We watched the college hoops as the waiter cleared our plates, and I was only distracted by the ringing of my phone.

"Edward Cullen," I answered.

"_Edward, it's Demetri. I've got some . . . information that you need to see."_

His tone of voice concerned me, and I was instantly on guard.

"What is it? Is everything okay?"

"_Some information on Windemere finally came through. Just come see me when you get in."_

"Will do." I snapped the phone closed and asked the waitress for our check—immediately.

"What is it?" Alice asked in concern.

"Demetri found something. He didn't want to go into it over the phone," I told her, hoping she'd get the hint not to ask for more details in public.

Bella's eyes flashed to mine, and the alarm in them was bright.

I gave her a small smile. "It's fine. We just need to go home."

We left some cash for the check, so we didn't have to wait, and jumped in the car. The tension was so thick between us, it was like a fifth person. We didn't speak much on the way, each of us was lost in our own thoughts, and as soon as the car was in park, we piled out. I called Demetri and told him to meet us in my office, and we all went straight there.

I paced around behind my desk, Jasper leaned tensely against my shelf, Alice bounced nervously, and Bella drummed her fingers on the desk. Then, Demetri stepped into the doorway with a file in his hand.

He stopped and looked around tensely.

"What? What did you find?" I snapped.

"Oh, uh, well, here's what I know," Demetri started nervously. He was usually so put together that I really worried about what was in his file.

"Three years ago, charges were filed against James Windemere for statutory rape. Sixteen year old Jane Masen refused to cooperate, and the charges were eventually dropped for lack of evidence. Eight months later, another young woman came forward, but later recanted. Since then, there have been three other women under eighteen claiming to have had a sexual relationship with James Windemere, only to change their stories later."

Demetri paused and cleared his throat. "Young girls aren't his only vice. His business interests include drug trafficking, prostitution, and illegal gambling, according to my sources. I don't think he's mixed up with Donnelly's crew yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make that contact soon, what with Laurent on his payroll."

"The drugs—that's what he wants the shipping access for?" Jasper asked.

Demetri shrugged. "I would assume so, but I'm sure there are other goods he's dealing in that would need to go out of state."

"The girls—were any of them hurt in any way?" I asked.

Demetri winced. "That's . . . unclear."

"Fuck."

Demetri nodded in agreement.

"What can we do?" Alice asked. Her voice sounded small and unsure.

"Other than what we have been, nothing right now," Demetri said with a shrug. "But forearmed is forewarned, right?"

"Do you think it will be safe to go home for Christmas?" Bella asked.

Demetri's eyebrows gathered, and I waited with baited breath for his answer. If he said we shouldn't go, I knew that there was no way I'd go against it. "I don't think he'd try anything at the Swans'. Charlie still talks to Marcus, doesn't he?"

I nodded in assent.

"James doesn't want his father to know what he's up to, and he's managed to keep him out of it so far. I think you're good," Demetri decided.

If James was partial to young women, his fascination with my Bella no longer made sense. She was older now. Maybe it was that he wanted what he couldn't have, because he sure as hell couldn't have her.

I turned to Bella. "What would you think about heading up to your parents' house early? Like, leaving sometime tomorrow."

Her eyes lit up, but her expression was cautiously hopeful. "I don't have anything planned. Don't you have work to catch up on, though?"

I smiled at her and waved away her concerns. "What do you think I did in the hotel rooms every night after my meetings? I think I'm ahead on it. I'll just finish up a few things tonight, and in the morning, and we'll head out."

Her blinding grin only solidified my belief that I was doing the right thing by spending Christmas with her folks.

"All right then. Demetri, thank you. Let me know if you come across anything else."

Alice grabbed Bella's arm, told her that she wanted to show her something, and then pulled her from the room. Jasper remained leaning against the bookcase and eyeing me speculatively.

"Things are better with the two of you," he observed once the sounds of the retreating women died away.

"They are," I acknowledged. "She's amazing, Jasper. I will forever regret not pulling my head out of my ass and discovering that sooner."

He chuckled. "At least you did it before it was too late. Why are you so anxious to get out of here this year? Mom's really disappointed that you're going to miss the Christmas party on Saturday."

I grimaced and looked away. "It might be a while before we attend again. I know it's important to Mom, but Bella's more important to me. And she hasn't spent much time with her family since we got married. I feel bad about that. Charlie really misses her. Besides, we're coming home the day after."

My brother had always had the ability to see past the words and know what you were saying without having it spelled out. This time was no exception. He stared at me with his lips set in a hard line for several seconds, before curving one side up and nodding.

"You know I'm always here if you need to talk, right?" he asked me. "You're my brother, and I love you, no matter what. I'm not going to judge."

They were the exact words I needed to hear, and the doubt that had percolated within me for so long came bubbling to the surface. "I never wanted you to think less of me," I voiced softly. "You're my little brother."

"And you've always been my role model, but I know you aren't perfect. I just want to be your brother and your friend," he replied in that soothing way of his.

"You are, Jas. You are." I took a few steps and hugged him tightly, which he returned without shame. We weren't ever overly demonstrative in our affections, but I knew my actions and James' insanity put a strain on him, as well.

After we broke apart, he helped me get the paperwork I'd brought back with me in order, and we kept our banter light. It was late when we parted to go to our respective rooms, and Bella was already fast asleep. I missed getting to spend the time with her, but I knew that she would understand the importance of taking time with Jasper, too.

I slipped into my flannel pajama pants, left on my T-shirt, and slid into bed behind her. I knew that no matter where we went, when Bella was in my arms, all the pieces shifted into place, and I was home. She was home.

TaM

Bella was already up when the alarm went off the next morning. Her suitcase was full to the brim, and she was trying to stuff in a few last minute things. While I dressed, I grabbed my clothes and deposited them into the open case she'd conveniently left out for me. Bella was searching through her drawers frantically for something. She stood abruptly and glared at me.

"Seriously? That's it. You just throw some random clothes in the bag, and you're done?" She sounded incredulous and frustrated.

I wasn't quite sure what the issue was. I'd always packed this way and rarely had a problem. "Am I doing it wrong?" I asked carefully, not wanting to spur an argument, when I was sure the rest of the day was already going to be tense.

"What? No, yes, I don't know. It's just not fair that it's so easy for you. You just throw some shit in a bag and go." She huffed and threw up her hands.

"Do we have big plans that I don't know about? Aren't we just going to spend time with your family?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

I smiled at her. "Then just pack what's comfortable. There's no need to stress over it. I'm going to think you look beautiful no matter what you're wearing."

She nodded and let out a deep breath. "Okay, then I just need to get my toiletries. When are we leaving?"

I shrugged. "Whenever you're ready. Jasper helped me with my stuff last night, so I'm all yours today."

She grinned. "Oh, you're all mine, all right." She looked like she was going to say something else, but she spun on her heel, grabbed the toiletries bag, and threw it on the bed.

"I think I'm ready. Let's get going."

So we did. We grabbed breakfast from the kitchen on our way out the door, told my parents goodbye, and jumped in the car. If Bella ever noticed that there weren't any extra presents in the backseat, she never let on.

The last couple of weeks had been so hectic that we used the hours in the car to just reconnect. She held my hand the entire time. If I could have had my way, the car would have a bench seat and I could have tucked her under my arm. I'd missed her more than I could express, but I tried. She just leaned over and kissed my cheek with a smile.

We pulled into her parents' driveway at just after three, and I was slightly surprised to see that no one was home. I'd sent a message to Charlie the night before, letting him know that we'd be arriving early.

"What do we do now?" I asked her as no one answered the door.

She laughed and dug into her purse. "We let ourselves in. I still have my key."

I rolled my eyes and held out my hands as if to say 'why didn't you say so?' She just shrugged and fit the key into the lock. Once the door was open, we carried all our presents and luggage in together, settling into Bella's old bedroom. I had no idea where Charlie had stashed all my gifts, and I didn't want to go snooping around and blow the surprise for Bella.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed my father-in-law.

"_Dammit!"_ he said as he answered. _"You're there already, aren't you?"_

I laughed at the consternation in his voice. "Yes, sir. We got here about fifteen minutes ago and let ourselves in."

"_I'll be there in less than five. We've got to pick up Renee, so just be ready to go when I get there. We can grab some dinner out."_

"All right. We'll be downstairs," I agreed and hung up with a chuckle and a shake of my head.

Bella groaned and rifled through her suitcase to change her clothes, and I followed her lead. I figured that Charlie didn't have in mind for us to go his favorite greasy spoon.

True to his word, Charlie was waiting for us in the foyer, and Bella shot across the room and flew into his arms. "Daddy!" she cried, hugging him tightly. I followed at a more leisurely pace and shook his hand as soon as he could disentangle it from his daughter.

"I'm so glad you guys are here," Charlie murmured, squeezing Bella one more time. "Now, we've got to go get your mom. She'll kill me if we're late."

"Where is she?" Bella asked as we walked out to his car.

Charlie shot her a wicked grin and ducked into the driver's seat. "She's at your grandmother's."

Bella groaned and flopped into the passenger seat at my insistence. She looked less than pleased, and I chose not to comment. I did, however, grab her keys and run back into the house for her grandmother's present, so we wouldn't have to make a return trip.

Apparently, Janice Higgenbotham didn't live terribly far from the Swans; we just had enough time for Charlie to ask about our drive up and for him to warn me to just ignore Bella's grandmother. He only succeeded in making me more nervous. The front of her house only served to ratchet them even higher.

It was imposing, to say the least. The white stone edifice was cold and lifeless. Not even the ivy dared to touch it. Behind the windows, thick drapes obscured the view into the home, and not a branch was out of place in the planter beds. If I didn't know better, I would have suspected it was simply a showpiece, not someone's home.

Bella and Charlie were both dragging their feet on the way to the front door, and I was several steps behind them. I wasn't sure how to handle this. I knew that Bella's grandmother had been at our wedding, but I couldn't place her and had no idea if she even knew who I was.

Bella stopped and spun around, looking for me. When her eyes landed on me, she smiled and looped her arm through mine. "Don't worry," she whispered. "She doesn't bite . . . hard."

The door opened, revealing a tall, bald man in a butler's uniform. He looked utterly bored, though I didn't suppose he was allowed to enjoy his job, from what I'd been told.

Charlie and Bella greeted him politely, and he nodded in return and led us to what was clearly a formal sitting room. A thin, older woman sat stiffly on the edge of a wingback chair, her streaked gray hair coiffed tightly in a severe bun and her ankles crossed. Her perfectly tailored pink suit sat in perfect lines around her, and the skirt gathered at her knees. It looked uncomfortable as hell, but was the very definition of prim and proper.

"Ah, Charles, Isabella, it's good of you to come," she greeted them formally. She stood and received Charlie with a handshake and kissed Bella on each of her cheeks. Then she turned to me, her thin lips turned into a polite, but somewhat uncaring smile.

"You must be Edward Cullen. Janice Higgenbotham." Her voice was civil, but disinterested. She offered her hand to me, and I took it, but her shake was the dead fish shake so popular with society ladies.

"Edward Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you." It wasn't really, but my mother had taught me some manners, and I wasn't about to embarrass her.

She turned back to the other woman in the room without another word, and I was shocked to see Renee trussed up like her mother. Her own ensemble was off white, and her expression clearly begged us to rescue her from her mother's clutches. She held a tiny saucer in one hand and a fine bone china tea cup in the other. Her back was ramrod straight, and I instantly wondered why her own mother made her so stiff. I didn't have to wait long for the answer.

"Tut tut, Isabella, don't slouch. I cannot imagine why you think that sort of attire is appropriate for a young lady such as yourself, but clearly, your husband allows it. Please, sit, and I'll have Bertrand bring along some tea." It wasn't so much a request, as an order.

"Allows it?" I mouthed to Bella.

She grimaced and rolled her eyes.

"Actually, Janice, we won't be staying long. Bella and Edward just arrived, and we have dinner plans for this evening," Charlie interjected.

"Oh?" She raised one delicately plucked eyebrow at Renee. "I was expecting you to stay for dinner."

Panic lit across Renee's face, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Actually, Mrs. Higgenbotham, I'm afraid that's my fault. We weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow, but I thought we'd surprise Renee and Charlie by coming early and taking them out for dinner." As I spoke, her eagle-eyed gaze settled on me, and with her sharp features, it was exactly like staring into the face of a hawk, right before it pecked your eyes out.

"Is that so?" she asked, and there was still no warmth in her tone. "Well, that certainly explains why my daughter failed to mention it. I won't hold you up."

I looked to Bella for advice and saw the indecision written there as well. It didn't take long for my up-bringing to win out.

"Would you care to join us?" I asked.

Her head swiveled back to me in a fraction of a second, and she wasn't able to school her expression quickly enough. I saw the shock and longing written there. It occurred to me that she must be very lonely indeed.

I smiled. "It may not be up to your usual dining standards, but I'm sure Bella would enjoy spending time with you in a more relaxed setting."

Bella pinched the back of my arm where it was just out of sight. It took everything I had not to wince.

Janice studied me intently, curiously, and then nodded slowly. "Yes, I think that would be lovely. If you would be so kind as to give me a moment to change, I would love to join you." She stood primly and strolled from the room; her light pink heels echoed off the tiled floor in the foyer.

"Edward," Renee whined. "I've been here for six hours. Do you hate me so much that you're torturing me for two more? And these clothes!"

Charlie chuckled and grinned widely. "Eh, what man doesn't love torturing his mother-in-law when he gets the chance? Tonight should be fun." There was a distinct wicked gleam in his eye. "Besides, Renee, I brought you a change of clothes." He turned and ran out to the car.

While he was gone, Renee deposited her tea cup on the table and hugged Bella tightly. She whispered something in Bella's ear, and I saw Bella nod almost imperceptibly. Then, when she let her go, I was shocked when Renee pulled me into her own arms.

"I'm glad you came," she whispered thickly, and patted my back in a motherly way.

Charlie saved me from having to respond, by throwing a bag at Renee and telling her to hurry, that he was hungry and wanted to get out of here.

"Listen, I don't know where you were thinking, but I'm telling you, we are going somewhere . . . not upscale," Charlie whispered loudly to Bella and me.

"Dad, I'm not eating at Billy's," Bella insisted firmly, but quietly.

He shook his head. "Dear God, the old bag'd have a heart attack before she ever made it in the door."

I shrugged. "I was just figuring we would go someplace like Chili's. Will she eat there?"

Charlie's face lit up in a grin, and that mischievous twinkle was back. "That's perfect! Beer, real food, televisions so I don't have to listen to her—I'll call ahead for seating as soon as we get to the car."

Bella's grandmother didn't take long to change. Charlie had barely finished his sentence, when she strolled in the room. She was still dressed nicer than the rest of us, but she'd toned it down to a nice blouse, a pair of slacks, and some black heels. The pearls around her neck remained, though.

"I thought I might have Betrand drive me," she announced. "I'm usually not out past dark, and I don't want to ruin your fun." She sniffed a little at the end of her speech, and her posture radiated unease. She wanted to be with her family, of that I was sure, but she had no clue how to behave with them.

Renee was changed shortly thereafter, and was now clad in jeans and a sweater. We piled back into the car—I sat in the back with Bella—and pulled out of the driveway, with Bertrand following close behind.

"Where are we going?" Renee finally asked, spinning in her seat to look at me.

Charlie was on the phone, reserving our table.

I grinned at her. "Chili's."

"Oh Lord," she laughed. "My mother will have a conniption. Good plan!"

"What? You didn't enjoy your visit today?" Bella asked sarcastically.

Renee groaned and rolled her eyes. "Let's see, Miriam Holloway has lung cancer, Bertie Macklin died alone and his family is a bunch of ingrates, Mom's weekly tennis match has had to be rescheduled to accommodate some new club members—she's quite perturbed about it—and we don't come visit enough, leading her to believe we don't love her anymore."

"She's just now getting the hint?" Charlie teased, and Renee smacked his arm.

"Seriously, though, Edward, why in the world did you invite her?" Renee asked incredulously.

I pursed my lips, thinking of the best way to put it. "Well, it was the polite thing to do, but more than that, she looked really lonely. She tried not to let it show, but she was so disappointed when she heard we weren't staying."

Renee looked taken aback and just stared at me for a moment. "That . . . it was very kind of you, Edward." She turned back around and settled into her seat.

I shot Bella a questioning glance, but she merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled at me.

We only had to wait a few minutes when we arrived at Chili's, but it was long enough for me to observe that this was going to be an eye-opening experience for Janice. She stood stiffly in the entrance way and took in the atmosphere with wide eyes. Servers skirted here and there, around tables, patrons, and trays of food, delivering food and drinks all over the place. The rich smells of the food wafted over to us, and my stomach growled in appreciation. Bella laughed at me and patted my stomach, while shaking her head.

The hostess led us to the large, round booth and laid out the menus. Bella and Renee scooted all the way in, and Charlie and I settled next to our spouses. Janice primly sat on the edge of the bench next to Charlie, looking as out of place as possible.

Renee ordered the two for one mango margaritas, as it was still Happy Hour, and when the waitress brought them, she slid one in front of her mother. "You have to try it," Renee insisted as Janice started to argue. "It's part of the experience."

Janice pursed her lips again and daintily took a sip from the straw. As soon as the frosty drink hit her lips, she startled and stared at it in wonder.

"Here, Grandmother, try some of the Skillet Queso, too. You'll like it." Bella offered her a chip covered in gooey cheese and meat.

Janice's expression said that she really didn't want to try it, but with a glance at her drink, she took the proffered chip and bit in delicately. Then, she popped the rest in her mouth in one bite and took a long swig of her margarita.

That was all it took to flip her switch. After that, she laughed and talked with us, as if this was normal for her. She was still a little stiff, but she'd relaxed considerably, and even ordered a second drink when hers emptied. Several times, Renee gaped at her in wonder, having never seen this side of her mother. She was also gaping at Bella, who was busy sneaking sips of her mother's drink and feeding me chips and bites of my country fried steak. I certainly didn't mind, and took every opportunity I could to suck her fingers into my mouth.

Needless to say, we were both more than a little keyed up by the time dinner was over. My jeans were tight, and Bella was fidgeting. Luckily, Bella's parents were too occupied with Janice to notice that Bella's hands were wandering.

Janice, it appeared, didn't drink often. She was a little loud and overly excited about everything Renee was telling her about. I got the impression that Renee had never gotten so much attention and admiration for her choices from her mother.

With boisterous hugs, and promises to come to Christmas brunch, Janice climbed in her car and waved as was she driven away. We did the same in our car, and Renee was practically cackling with laughter most of the way home.

"I've not had that much fun with her, ever!" she cried. "Who knew she had it in her?"

Charlie laughed heartily and agreed that his mother-in-law had never behaved "so human."

It wasn't late, only just past nine when we arrived back home, but I was exhausted after almost two weeks of non-stop traveling. Renee was determined to play Trivial Pursuit, but I just didn't have it in me.

"Go on to bed," Bella said quietly as her mother prattled on and dug through the hallway closet for the game. "There will be plenty of time to spend together this weekend."

My mind drifted back to a night months ago, when Bella was weary, and I wished for nothing more than to spend the evening with her. Like she did now, I'd had responsibilities and obligations to attend to. What I wouldn't have given to have done that night differently as well.

"It's fine, I'll stay up," I insisted.

"Edward, go to bed. They're my parents, and it'll give me a little time to spend with them and get you out of spending time with them," she laughed. "It's fine."

I watched her face skeptically. "If you're sure?"

"Goodnight, Edward," Bella called loudly, alerting her mother to our conversation.

Renee tittered and hugged me, before grabbing the game she'd found and walking away to give us our privacy.

Bella's lips were soft and sweet, and then she pulled away with a smile. "Get some rest, my love. I'll be up soon."

She was, too. At least, I thought it was soon. She tucked herself into my arms, and I drifted back to sleep a much happier man.

**I realize that not a lot of action happened in this chapter but these two needed a wee bit of downtime and there's a lot more coming soon. Leave me a note and let me know what you think. **

**Recs this week?**

**The Harder They Fall by Ironic Twist: Edward hires Bella to pose as his girlfriend. What happens when that isn't enough?**

**Unexpected Circumstances by Savage7289: This quasi-historical fic just draws you in. Sir Edward had his pick of any maiden in the kingdom and he chose a handmaiden. Why and what now?**


	27. Chapter 27: The InLaws: Part 2

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Well, I don't own Twilight. I know—shocking, right? **

**A/N: Thank you. To my betas and pre-readers—Jenny Cullen, bonnysammy, and swimom7—for all being so wonderful and making this story better. Thank you to all my faithful readers and to all the new ones. You guys are the reason that I keep doing this week after week. **

**Chapter 27: The In-Laws: Part 2**

**EPOV**

The downside of my early night came with the dawn. I was rested and refreshed, while Bella slept on beside me. Careful not to wake her, I slipped on my shoes and made my way down to the kitchen for some coffee. Charlie was already there, pouring over the paper.

"Feeling better?" he asked gruffly, though it sounded more like sleepiness.

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry I bailed on the game last night, but being on the road does not for restful sleep make." I laughed and joined him at the table.

Charlie cleared his throat and looked over the paper at me. "Bella was okay with you being gone so long . . . with everything going on?"

I chuckled. "She's never really happy about it, but she's understanding. We both knew she was safe at home, so she didn't have that stress, at least."

"Yeah, about that. You never did tell me what James Windemere wanted."

My coffee cup clinked as I set it on the table, and I stared into its depths. "Her. He wants Bella."

"Come again?"

"He offered to 'break her in' for me," I told him baldly. "He said he'd wanted her years ago, but didn't say anything, and that he'd still take her." A sudden thought occurred to me. "Did he ever try for her, Charlie? Back when you were searching for . . . a suitable match?"

His eyes turned hard as flint. "Let's take this to my office."

I followed him down the hallway and sat when he flicked on the light.

He dug through a filing cabinet and produced a sheaf of papers. "When this all happened, I wasn't really sure what to do, so I put the word out through some people I trusted. I wanted to keep it as quiet as possible, both for Bella and because I didn't want Marcus getting his back up. There were a few people interested—you, Alastair Onassis, Michael Rochester—but about a week after I'd sent you her information, I got this." He slid a short letter across the desk.

Gingerly, I lifted it from the desk and scanned it. James Windemere had gotten wind of Bella's availability and offered himself as a potential suitor.

"I dismissed it immediately. The whole idea was to make sure Bella ended up with the land, and I wasn't sure I trusted him to do that. Besides, he's also related; it's distant, but I didn't feel right about it. When he hadn't heard back from me, he called and demanded to know why. By then, I'd already talked to you and verbally agreed. I let him know that Bella was already spoken for, and thanked him for his interest," Charlie relayed.

I slid the letter back to him, and he replaced it in the file. "Why did you invite him to the wedding then?"

He shook his head. "Renee and your mother got a little carried away when planning, and she insisted that it would be bad form to not include Marcus," he answered wryly.

So many little decisions had influenced that day, not the least my own ignorance, and we were still feeling the repercussions.

"What's his end game, Edward?" Charlie asked, breaking the silence that had descended.

"Honestly, Charlie, I have no idea. He wants off the books access to the shipping out of Davenport, and it seems, access to Bella. I have no intention of letting him have either."

"Are things better between the two of you, then?" Charlie blurted awkwardly.

And here it was. Though our conversations had been more frequent since Thanksgiving, we'd never discussed Bella's revelation.

"They are," I said slowly. "We've had a lot to work through, but we want to be together, and it's worth it."

He studied me, and I tried not to squirm. "You want to tell me what happened?"

Um, no? "That's really not your business, sir. It's between Bella and myself," I replied as delicately and respectfully as I could.

"The hell it's not, son." His voice had substantially increased in volume now. "I gave you my daughter to love and protect, and you've done neither. From what it sounded like, you stepped out on her and broke her heart in the process. So you tell me how it's not _my_ business!"

"I _do love_ your daughter, Charlie, more than my own life, and I've done my damndest to keep her safe, even from myself when she was too young to appreciate that. I should have talked to her more, explained to her why I was so distant, but I thought I was doing the right thing, just like you did." I kept my voice low, trying to tone this conversation down a notch.

Charlie pondered my words, and I could see when he realized what I meant. "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, isn't it?" he asked ruefully.

I nodded and chuckled. "At least the road to redemption is, too."

"Truer words, son. Truer words." He looked around and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Renee is hell-bent on putting the tree up today. How long do you think we can hide in here?"

I startled in shock. "The tree's not up yet?"

"Nope. She refused to do it until you all got here, once she found out that you were coming." He grinned. "It's not as much of an event as it is at your house, but she has all of Bella's old ornaments still."

Those, I couldn't wait to see, and I told him so. It was still too early for Bella to be up and about, so Charlie and I muddled through making breakfast and each took a plate to our spouses. To my surprise, Bella was already dressed when I walked in, and she ate and talked to me while I cleaned up. When I told her of her mother's plans, she groaned.

"Seriously, Edward, they are handprint turkeys and glitter ornaments I made when I was little. They're nothing special."

I laughed. "I'll be the judge of that. And turnabout's fair play; you've seen all of mine," I reminded her.

"I'll show you something of mine," she muttered under her breath.

"Is that a promise?"

That got a laugh out of her. "Maybe later," she told me. "Right now, we have a Christmas tree to decorate."

Doing the Swans' tree was nothing like decorating ours. There were no "decorative" pieces, per se. Every ornament was meaningful. There were representations of Charlie and Renee's marriage, Bella's birth and her first years, pictures glued to ornament balls, and handmade baubles of every type. Based upon what I'd seen yesterday, it appeared that Renee had gone out of her way to make Bella's upbringing as opposite to hers as was possible. This tree had a homey, familial feel to it.

The pictures of Bella as a child were my favorite, since I hadn't really gotten to see many. She was adorable. Each year, there was a shot of her on Santa's lap, and I watched her get progressively older, until she was about ten. Then, Renee brought out a series of photo frame ornaments with yearly shots of Bella and Charlie. There were fifteen of them.

The more I stared at those pictures, the more I could see myself in Charlie's place, holding a miniature replica of my beautiful wife. I knew we weren't ready for children yet, but the image appealed to me on a level I didn't understand. Fatherhood wasn't something I'd ever let myself think much about, other than in the abstract. They also gave me a gift idea for my in-laws that I hoped would be meaningful, as well. Ostensibly taking pictures of the tree, I snapped an informal one of Bella and Charlie, without them realizing it. It wasn't as posed as the others, but the look they shared was priceless.

The tree took all morning and part of the afternoon. Therefore, it wasn't until almost three o'clock that I was able to get Bella alone and express my desire to run out to the store.

"You hate shopping. I hate shopping. Why are we going to the mall two days before Christmas?" she asked in disbelief as I tugged her out of the house.

"Later," I mumbled so only she could hear me.

"Wait!" Renee called. "Where are you going?"

I turned and smiled at her, willing her not to beg to come with us or for Bella to invite her along. "I need to run to the store for a last minute gift."

My luck was not with me. "Why don't we join you?" she asked brightly, as if this was the best suggestion in the world.

My hand tensed around Bella's, and I fought to keep my face even. "Well . . ."

"Mom!" Bella hissed, looking around furtively. "I forget to get part of Dad's gift, and I need Edward's advice on it. We can't all go, and if we just leave him here, it will give it away!"

God love my wife. She was a genius.

"Oh!" Renee's hand flew up to cover her mouth, and she giggled. "Got it. Your secret's safe with me. Pick up a movie on your way back, and I'll order some pizza."

"Perfect! Thanks, Mom!"

As soon as the car doors were shut, though, the interrogation began.

"Okay, why did I just lie to my mother?"

I winced at her tone. "You didn't. Not _exactly_. The gift is for both of them, though." I handed over my phone and opened up the picture of Bella and Charlie. "I wanted to have this made into an ornament for them, but to do that, we have to go to Walgreens, then Hallmark, and they couldn't be with us."

Bella's gaze wavered between me and the picture, and then her eyes filled with tears. "When did you . . . how?" she stuttered.

I reached over and took her hand. "I just noticed that there were some missing from the set. Just because you are my wife, it doesn't mean that you aren't his daughter anymore, and I'd wager he loves you almost as much as I do."

She sniffed and gave me a watery smile. "You're amazing. I love you, Edward Cullen."

"And I love you."

I was glad we'd been able to get the sappiness out in the car, because Walgreens was really trying my patience. The machine wasn't working properly, the kid behind the counter was clueless, and by the time I finally got the picture uploaded, the wait was going to be at least two hours.

"Hey, let's go get the ornament in the meantime. It'll probably take about that to get in and out of the mall," Bella reasoned, but that did nothing to improve my mood. If anything, it made it worse.

The mall was a nightmare. There were no parking places anywhere within the vicinity of any door, and the other drivers were like vultures when a space opened. I circled the lot nearest Hallmark so many times that I started to recognize the cars. Finally, Bella pointed at an area on the other side of the mall access road and suggested that we just park there and walk.

It was twenty degrees outside, and we were walking the almost half-mile to go shopping. That's what it felt like, anyway. I knew this would mean a lot to both Bella and her parents, and that was the only reason I was willing to brave this insanity.

Hallmark wasn't as packed as the rest of the stores we passed on our way in, but wading through the never ending bodies was still a chore. The ornaments hung on the right side near the windows, and my anxiety spiked as I saw how picked through they were. The frame was nestled in the corner, and the boxes below were scattered haphazardly; clearly no employees had time to straighten them. One by one, we sorted the red boxes, but we hadn't happened across any of the only one I needed. Panic set in.

I sat back on my heels and ran my hands over my face. It was too much.

There were too many people here, and Bella was too close to James for my comfort. All I wanted was to do something nice for my in-laws and my wife and to not have to concern myself constantly with her safety and potential reactions to Christmas. I couldn't express this to Bella without bringing up the reasons first, and there was no one for me to lean on. The pressure on my chest built. I tugged on my hair, while breathing deeply and trying to remain calm.

"Hey," Bella said softly, touching my arm.

My eyes snapped open, to see her angelic face gazing at me with worry. Christ! In the midst of my mental breakdown, I'd closed my eyes and left her without that extra protection.

"Stop," she murmured gently. "Whatever you are beating yourself up for, stop. I found the ornament. All we have to do now is pay for it and get out of here, okay?"

I gave her a weak smile and grabbed her hand. There would be time for self-flagellation later.

With the ornament wrapped in a plastic bag, we strolled, hand in hand, out of the mall and back into the freezing temperatures outside. The wind had picked up while we were inside, and it had started to snow. My eyes roved the parking lot, watching and searching for anything, anyone out of place, but I kept getting distracted every time Bella floated through my line of sight.

Tendrils of her long, dark hair had escaped the ponytail she'd shoved it into earlier, and they were whirling around her head, blowing in the breeze. Snowflakes landed on the mahogany strands and either melted or blew away, but not before setting off the contrast and making me think of another day where her brown hair was posed against white.

I didn't think of our wedding often, mostly because of the guilt I felt about my actions later that night. No matter how right I knew I'd been, I'd hurt her, and that would never be okay, no matter how long I lived and loved her. But at this moment, all I could remember was the overwhelming burst of emotion I felt when I saw her walking down the aisle towards me on her father's arm, a small, nervous smile playing on her lips.

She cocked her head to the side. "What are you thinking about that has you smiling so?" the Bella by my side, not the one in my memory, asked.

I grinned wider. "You. And how beautiful you are."

She scoffed, but blushed. I tugged my hand free and wrapped my arm around her instead, pulling her closer.

"Do you know where our wedding pictures are?" I asked suddenly. I was struck by an urge to look at them again, because I knew that my memory held no candle to reality and that she was even more awe-inspiring that day.

"Yeah," she said slowly, giving me a curious look. "They're in our room. I used to look at them . . . why? What's up?"

Guilt pulled at my heart when I realized what she was going to say, but I reminded myself that the past was the past and that there was nothing I could do about it. All I could do is be the best husband possible now.

"I was just remembering how beautiful you were that day. I don't know that I've ever seen them, to be honest," I said nonchalantly.

"Really? Huh. Well, I know Mom and Dad have some copies, if you want to see them when we get back to the house," Bella suggested.

"I'd love that," I told her sincerely.

The car was right in front of us, and I breathed a small sigh of relief that we'd managed the worst part of the outing without incident. She climbed in and shut the passenger door with a snap, eager to get out of the cooling air.

I turned the heater on high and was thankful that I'd thought to get a car that warmed up quickly when I'd bought this one. She rubbed her hands in front of the vent and chattered while I pulled into the long line attempting to leave the chaos behind.

Walgreens did have our pictures ready, thankfully, and the most important one had come out nicely. I handed them over to Bella in the car to separate so that Renee and Charlie could have a set, too, and drove straight to the closest McDonald's.

"Mom's ordering pizza," Bella reminded me, looking at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"Yes, and we are renting a movie," I said, pointing to the bright red kiosk next to the door. I hadn't seen a movie rental place still open all afternoon, and figured this was our best chance for our evening's entertainment.

I pulled up to the curb and jumped out, the engine still idling behind me so that Bella would stay warm. The choices were slim, but there was a drama with Brad Pitt we hadn't seen and an action film with Hugh Jackman that Charlie and I would enjoy. I figured if nothing else, the girls could ogle Hugh all night, while we enjoyed the fight scenes.

Movies in hand, I turned back to the car, only to see a figure on the other side talking softly through the window. Bella was leaning away, shaking her head, and had the doors locked.

"Can I help you?" I called over the noise of the road.

James stood and smiled. "I was merely saying hello to Bella and that I missed her at dinner the other night. It seems you did relay my offer, after all." His chilling grin froze my insides.

My panic was tamped down though by possessiveness. I needed him to understand that he wasn't getting his way, by her choice and mine.

"I made sure she knew that she had a choice, and she wasn't interested. My wife is happy where she is."

James' smile faltered only for a split second, but he recovered himself and said cockily, "That's only because she doesn't know what she's missing. I'm willing to give her what she needs."

There it was. He truly believed that I hadn't claimed her as my own in every way. And his own foolishness would be what took him down.

"Well, I'm sure she heard you. If she ever wants a change of scene, we've got your number," I said casually, my mind racing. "As it is, we're going to be late for dinner. Family time for Christmas, you know."

I'd struck another chord without meaning to. James' expression looked lost, as if he didn't actually understand what I meant, but I didn't take the time to analyze it. I merely waved and slipped into the driver's seat as soon as Bella reached across the seat and unlocked my door.

I could still see him in my rear-view window when I opened my phone and dialed.

"Demetri," I said as soon as he answered. "I need all the information you can get me on Caden and Marcus Windemere."

If he was surprised, he didn't show it. "Is there anything you want me to focus on in particular, sir?"

"Their families."

"Yes, sir. I'll email you as soon as I have it. How's the trip to the in-laws going?" He knew I was nervous about this visit, and I could hear the laugh in his voice.

I glanced over at Bella and remembered how happy she'd looked this morning. "It's going great, Demetri. Thanks for your help and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he said as he disconnected.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked Bella, running my hand down her arm.

She gave me a shaky smile. "Yeah, he just startled me, that's all. Does he really think I'd choose _him_ over you?" Her voice was full of disbelief.

I paused for a moment. "You know, Bella, I think he does. I don't think this,"—I motioned between the two of us—"is a concept he understands."

"Maybe." She was quiet a moment. "What'd you get?"

I handed the movies over and let her voice, chatting about the movies and basically nothing at all, soothe my slightly frazzled nerves. They were all but completely settled when we pulled into the drive and stepped out into a half inch of snow covering the driveway. There didn't seem to be any signs of the snow letting up, and as we shook the snow from our hair and took off our shoes in the foyer, I wondered if there would be time for a Christmas Eve snowball fight the next day.

While Renee and Bella waited for the pizza and put the movies in, I pulled Charlie aside and gave him a rundown of our afternoon encounter. I'd done my best to keep him informed, and he told me what he could about the Windemeres' home life, which, for a relative, wasn't much.

"Enough business time," Renee interrupted, tugging on Charlie's arm. "The pizza's here, and we're hungry."

We both laughed and followed her back into the kitchen to fill our plates. Bella was already seated on the sofa in the living room, and she patted the cushion next to her. I sat as close as could without making eating difficult, knowing that as soon as our hands were free, I'd scoot closer and hold her for the rest of the evening.

The movies lived up to their billing, although I suspected that I'd enjoy almost anything that gave me an excuse to hold Bella for two hours at a time. My only complaint was that she kept rubbing against my dick surreptitiously, and there wasn't anything I could do about it while sitting with her parents.

I planned to remedy that as soon as we got upstairs.

We bade Renee and Charlie goodnight and practically ran up to her room. As soon as the door closed me, Bella was all over me. She yanked my shirt out of my jeans and tugged it up as far as she could reach. I helped her pull it off, and while my hands were tangled, she ran her fingers over my chest and abs. Admiring and touching, all at once.

I couldn't stand any more teasing and crushed my lips to hers. Immediately, both of our mouths opened, and ours tongues writhed against each other, while our bodies burned with need.

My fingers itched to roam her perfect skin, but the need to feel her against my naked body was stronger, and I discarded my pants and underwear without breaking our kiss. I intended to work on hers next, but to my surprise, she'd had the same idea and pressed herself into me with no barriers between us.

"Jesus, I want you," I mumbled into her lips, holding her head with one hand and threading my fingers through her hair with the other.

Bella groaned quietly and guided me toward the bed. I expected her to crawl up to the pillows like she usually did, but instead, she pushed me down onto my back. She watched me hungrily as I lay down for her and stroked myself then straddled my legs and eased herself down onto my cock.

I cried out at the sudden sensation of her tight flesh around me. I wanted it, but I wasn't ready, and I had to still her so that I didn't blow my load right then.

"God, baby, you feel ssso good," I stuttered as I tried to rein myself in. "Give me a second. Please."

She smiled and leaned over, pressing her naked breasts into my chest and shifting herself around me. I moaned again as her walls contracted.

I kissed her gently and pushed up my hips experimentally. Bella took that as a sign of my readiness and propped herself up again on her knees. Back and forth, she rocked, rubbing her clit against me and taking herself to the brink. I cupped her breasts and teased her nipples as she pleasured herself on me. Even when I'd taken her hard and fast, I'd never been so turned on in my life.

Her breathy pants became moans, and her eyes drifted closed. I could feel her whole body shaking, vibrating with her need.

"Come for me, baby. Let go and let me feel you," I whispered roughly, pinching her nipples.

Instantly, her inner muscles constricted, and she let out a high, keening cry. Her whole body shuddered, and my hands latched onto her hips, moving her through her orgasm. Then, she collapsed with her head in my neck.

"Was that good?" I teased, winding my arms around her back.

"Mmhmm," she sighed.

I let her lay there for a moment, recovering, and let myself feel her all around me. Her body covered mine like a blanket, and for the first time, I understood why she loved it when I did this when we made love. It was warm, accepting, loving.

Bella started to roll onto her back, and I stopped her. Gently, I guided her back up and watched as her back straightened, and once again, she was riding me. This time, I used my hands to lift her up and down as I pounded into her from underneath. Her eyes rolled back into her head. She clutched my chest as another orgasm hit her hard. This time, though, hers spurred mine, and I came with a guttural moan. She fell onto my chest again, and we lay there, holding each other and panting.

Finally, she lifted up and kissed me gently, before hopping up and practically running to the bathroom, covering herself with her hands in the process. I laughed at her attempted modesty and strolled lazily behind her. Thankfully, it didn't take either of us long to clean and get ready for bed, because I was anxious to have her in my arms again.

As soon as the covers were drawn over our bodies, Bella snuggled into my side and laid her head on my chest. Her breathing evened out quickly, and I thought she had fallen asleep. Minutes later, though, her body was shaking.

"Bella, baby, what's wrong?" I asked, immediately concerned.

A giggle-snort escaped her lips, and her hand shot up from my abdomen to cover her mouth. "Nothing's wrong!" she laughed. "It's just feels weird. We just had sex in my parents' house! We're sleeping together down the hall from them, and they're okay with that."

I laughed with her. It wasn't anything I'd ever had to worry about. Fair or not, the standards that Jasper and I had been held to were vastly different than those for Rose. Based upon her sometimes loud complaints, I imagined her strictures were similar to Bella's.

"Try to sneak boys up here often?" I teased.

She lightly smacked my chest and leaned up so she could look at my face. "Oh yes, _tons_." She rolled her eyes to emphasize her point.

I laughed and sneaked a kiss.

All too soon, Bella sighed and cuddled back into my shoulder. "I love you, Edward," she said sleepily, and punctuated it with a large yawn.

"I love you, too, Bella," I whispered, and gathered her closer, before we both drifted off to sleep.

Renee had big plans for Christmas Eve, and she woke us before nine o'clock to involve us in them. I was more than a little thankful that we'd thought to put on pajamas last night, because she charged right in and ripped the covers off when we didn't respond to her knock.

"Mom!" Bella cried grumpily. "Knock it off!" She grabbed at the covers and pulled them back over her head.

"It's time to get up, young lady. Unless you want me in charge of brunch tomorrow, I need you to come to the store with me. Otherwise, we'll just have egg casserole," Renee informed her.

Bella whipped the covers off her head and stared at her mother, disgust plain on her features. "You promised me you'd never serve that ever again."

Renee shrugged and gave her a knowing grin. "Well, we have to serve something."

Bella's eyes narrowed, and she glowered at her mother. "Fine. But we're doing it my way."

My eyes shifted back and forth between the two women, having no idea what they were talking about, but not wanting to interfere.

Renee agreed, and then spun on her heel and left the room, shutting the door with a click.

I just stared at it in shock.

"Do you want to go to the grocery with Mom and me?" Bella asked tiredly.

"Huh?"

At some point, Bella had removed all of her clothes and was standing naked in the doorway to the bathroom. Did she really expect me to be coherent?

A wicked, knowing grin crossed her face. "Eyes up here, Mr. Cullen."

My eyes snapped to her face.

"Mom and I have to go get the food for brunch tomorrow. Is it safe for us to go alone, or should you come with us?"

My mind instantly flashed back to the incident at McDonald's, and I scrambled out of bed. "Would you feel better if I came with you?" I knew the answer already, but I wanted her to make the decisions.

Bella sighed and nodded unhappily. "Honestly, yeah. I want to be able to buy food on my own, but I don't think that's a good idea."

I ran my hands down her arms and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Then let's shower and get down there. I don't mind going if you need me."

She stared into my eyes and whispered, "Thank you," before turning back into the bathroom and starting the shower.

We didn't really have time to start anything fun, since as we were getting in, Renee came back and announced that we were leaving in thirty minutes, so we just hastily washed ourselves and dressed quickly.

While Bella was doing her hair and make-up, I went to the kitchen and made us both coffee and threw some bread into the toaster. There was no way I was going to the grocery on an empty stomach. Bella seemed to appreciate the gesture, and we met her mother by the front door right on time.

"Edward? Are you going with us?" she asked in surprise.

I shrugged. "I've been shopping with Bella before. I thought you might want some help carrying the bags."

She laughed and shook her head, but not in denial. "Alrighty then! Let's get this over with."

The grocery store was almost as bad as the mall the day before. People drove their carts aggressively through the aisles, snatching up their items protectively. Bella and Renee approached it just like Black Friday shopping. I followed Bella through the aisles, and she would send her mother to get different items. By the time we made it to the checkout, there were several pounds of sausage, flour, three dozen eggs, two pounds of bacon, bread, milk, orange juice, syrup, powdered sugar and bags of various types of fruit.

I scanned the cart again and leaned over to Bella. "Emmett's not coming to brunch, is he?"

Her brows furrowed, and she gave me a strange look. "No, why?"

"Because there is enough food here to feed an army, and there are only going to be five of us, right?" I asked.

Bella laughed. "Yeah, we always make too much food and freeze the rest. Tradition, you know?"

I laughed with her and shook my head. At least she knew she was going overboard. Renee was fussing over something she was sure she'd forgotten and checked the cart against the list three times. I just loaded up the conveyor belt as fast as I possibly could. Lord knew we weren't going to need even half of this.

In the end, they had to split our bagged groceries into three carts, and we each pushed one to the car. Ever the overprotective one-as Bella reminded me-I urged the girls to get in the car and lock it while I loaded everything into the hatch. The groceries in the last cart had to be put into the backseat, because we ran out of room in the back.

Once we were home, Charlie came out and helped us unload everything, but it still took four trips. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes, clearly conveying to me that this wasn't unusual.

I left them struggling to find places to put all the stuff they'd bought and sought out Charlie.

"Hey, Charlie," I said, knocking lightly on the open door.

"Hey, Edward. What's up?" He looked up from some papers, and his glasses slid to the end of his nose. With frustration, he ripped them off his face and dropped them on his desk.

I chuckled and took the seat across from him. "Those new?"

"Yes," he growled. "Doc said I'm getting older, like that's supposed to make them better."

I shrugged. "Eh, you get used to them. I've worn glasses and contacts for years."

"I didn't know that."

"I keep my glasses hidden," I laughed. "Bella's determined to see me in them, but they make me look like a total dork."

He laughed. "Leave it to Bella to find that attractive!"

"I know." I shook my head. "Do you still have all those packages I had delivered? I thought I'd put her preoccupation with cooking brunch to good use."

His eyes lit up. "Good idea. I haven't wrapped Renee's, either. When Bella was little, I used to pay her to do it for me. I'd do it now, but after doing it for the last two years, I'm afraid Renee would notice."

He opened a door to his left and started handing out shipping boxes, one by one. "The big stuff is in the garage, but I took a picture like you said when it was delivered, so you can just wrap that. Sort through this, and I'll go get the paper, tape, and tags."

While he was gone, I sorted the boxes into two stacks—his and mine. There were a few more of mine than I expected, and I wondered if I had gone overboard. Then, I decided that it didn't matter. I wanted to get Bella something special, and I'd obviously not done a great job for years.

Charlie returned with his arms full of wrapping paper and boxes, which was genius. I hadn't even thought about those. One by one, we ripped into our boxes and transferred their contents. There were a few things I had to conceal a bit, because no matter how cool Charlie was, I didn't really think he wanted to see the skimpy lingerie I'd bought for his daughter. Truthfully, I was planning to give those packages to her when they weren't around, too.

From what I could see, Charlie was in the same boat I was. There were almost too many presents for us to carry to the Christmas tree, but we managed, only dropping a couple on the way. Luckily, Bella and Renee didn't hear us, so we escaped undetected.

Charlie stuck his head in the hallway and listened intently for a moment, before retreating into the room and closing the door with a small snap. "They're still at it in the kitchen. We should be safe for another hour or so." He grinned and grabbed the remote, flicking on SportsCenter.

I grinned back at him, and we both settled into the couch, listening to the commentators reflect on the BCS, the chances of various college basketball teams, and the stupidity of an NHL player that was getting suspended again for deliberately attempting to concuss opposing players.

The show hadn't even ended, when Renee cracked the door and stepped in. "Edward, can you help me with a few things real quick?" she asked somewhat meekly.

Confused as to what she would need my help for, I nodded and followed her up to her bedroom.

As soon as we were inside, Renee started wringing her hands and looking nervous.

"I know this is a strange place to bring you, but I know Bella won't come up here to interrupt."

My eyes widened minutely, and I instantly wondered what Renee would be doing that she wouldn't want Bella knowing about.

"You know that I'll talk to her about it later, right?" I said hastily. "I don't keep anything from her."

She gave me a sad smile. "I know. I just wanted to get this out without her around. I need to apologize to you." Renee sank to the edge of the bed and patted next to her. She took a few seconds to collect herself before continuing.

"I haven't been particularly fair to you, and I'm sorry for that. I'm also sorry that it's taken both Bella and Charlie to make me see it. I don't agree with you having an affair,"—she shot me a nasty look—"but I understand why your relationship with Bella is the way it is. Part of that is my fault. I'm her mother. I should have explained everything to her and prepared both of you better for your life together.

"She's just always been so grown up that I didn't even think about it. And she seemed to be settling in so well to her new life that I didn't want to upset things, so I didn't say anything then. I've been a terrible mother to her. She was so broken when she came home, and I was determined to just support her. I don't know why, but I figured if it was something serious, she would have told me about it before. Then, after she left, it struck me that she hadn't talked to me at all about your marriage, and that there could be something really wrong. I tried to talk to her about it when you all came to visit, but she blew me off, and you were so cautious with her that I started to think you might have been hurting her." Renee took a couple of deep breaths.

"I'm just so sorry, Edward."

"I appreciate that, Renee," I said thickly, her emotions spurring mine. "You have to know that I love your daughter more than anything. Nothing about our marriage has been easy, but I've never been as happy as I have been these last couple of months with her truly by my side."

"I see that now, and I understand better," she said, sniffling. "Truce?"

I smiled and held out my hand, which she took. "Truce."

"Good. Now, I have to get back downstairs to make dinner." She paused and rolled her eyes. "Rather, I have to get back downstairs and watch Bella make dinner. I won't subject any of you to my cooking. I think both Charlie and Maria were so thankful that Bella was coming home. Maria wanted to go home for the holidays, but hates leaving Charlie to fend for himself."

Laughing at her self-deprecating statement, we both stood and made our way back downstairs and back to our spouses. A weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It could only make Bella happier knowing that her mother and I were finally no longer at odds.

**I didn't make it to Christmas. I don't know what happened but the chapter just kept going. So, Bella gets to tell us all about her presents next chapter. And then, well, the stuff's going to hit the fan. Enjoy the eye of the storm!**

**Rec for this week:**

**Love Amongst the Ruins by theladyingrey42—This complete fic had me spellbound for days. Libraries, Earthquakes, a broken man and a lost woman. What could be more entrancing?**


	28. Chapter 28: Christmas

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I was shocked too. After all this time, don't we all know this? Also, if I haven't given you permission to use my plot, please don't. **

**A/N: First of all, I'm sorry that I haven't responded to all the reviews this week. I do appreciate each and every one of them and I'm going to do my best to get through everything this coming week. **

**Thank you to Jenny Cullen, bonnysammy, and swimom7 for betaing and pre-reading this. They make my writing so much better and make sure that all the commas are in place. You ladies are the very best and I adore you. **

**Chapter 28: Christmas**

**BPOV**

I had forgotten how long the days around Christmas were. After Mom and Edward reemerged from wherever they'd been, we ate dinner. Neither Mom nor Edward would say anything about what they'd been doing, but there wasn't much opportunity to ask.

Mom insisted that we watch White Christmas and even though it was one of my favorites, I fell asleep on Edward's shoulder before Bing Crosby appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. I wanted to spend more time with him—and my parents—but I was just too tired. I woke only when Edward lifted me into his arms and started up the stairs.

"Shh, love, go back to sleep," he whispered. "I've got you."

"Mmm," I mumbled, unable to get more than that out at the moment. But it was comforting being in his embrace, so I snuggled a little closer.

When we got up to the bedroom, I felt-rather than saw-the door open, and Edward gently lay me on the bed. Carefully, he tugged off my pants and tucked me under the covers. I was too tired to protest, and I knew that tomorrow morning would come very early. Minutes later, I felt the bed dip behind me, and Edward's warm arm covered my waist. That's all it took to send me into dreamland.

It was quite warm when I woke, mostly because Edward's body was draped around my back. It was still early, considering there were no children in the house to insist upon seeing Santa's presents in the house, so I took a moment to snuggle further into Edward's embrace. Then, I snuggled right into his erection.

With a grin, I wriggled out of his arms and ran to the bathroom. Once my business was done, I took the time to admire my husband, now laying on his back. The blankets had ridden down, exposing his torso. He looked so good like that, and I couldn't contain the idea that had taken residence as soon as I felt him. It _was_ Christmas morning, after all.

Carefully, so as not to wake him yet, I climbed back in the bed and scooted down underneath the covers. Fortunately, his pajama pants were loose enough that I was able to shimmy them over his hips, with only a slight shift from him.

There before me, just waiting for me proudly, was Edward in all his glory. I reached out and ran my forefinger up and down his length, watching with interest as he twitched in response. Several glances up to check on Edward revealed that he was still fast asleep, even if his arm was now thrown over his eyes.

On my next pass, I wrapped my fingers around him and pumped him twice, before kissing the head. A slightly salty fluid was leaking out, and I lapped it up. It wasn't as bad as I had heard, and certainly was better than the morning mouth I was sporting. Before I could second guess myself, I lowered my mouth around him and sucked in on my way back up.

I had no idea what I was doing, but the little moans issuing from Edward seemed to indicate that I was doing something right. It wasn't for nothing that I'd sat through years of listening to Alice and Rose describe technique.

It wasn't until I grazed him with my teeth that I realized he had woken and was staring at me in confusion, wonder, and pure lust.

"Bella, baby . . . ugh, God, that's . . . what are you . . ."

Another moan cut off his question, and instead of answering him, I showed him. His hand tangled into my hair, but he didn't push. He only guided me and gave me an idea of what he liked. Several times, I ran my teeth lightly against him, and each time, the moan he released spurred me on more. Faster and harder I went, trying to pretend I was licking a really warm popsicle when I would gag. His grunts and curses turned me on even more, and I resolved to work harder.

"Shit! Bella-" he grunted and tugged on my hair. "I'm gonna . . . oh, God. Baby . . ."

Just like Rose had instructed more than a year ago, I kept going and tried to take him in as far as I could. Within seconds, his hands tightened, and a string of expletives mixed with my name poured from his mouth as he shot streams of the most foul thing ever into my mouth.

There was no way it was going down my throat. Not a chance. All I could think as I ran to the bathroom was that Rose lied. I tried to discreetly spit into the sink, but the texture gagged me, and I heaved. I didn't want Edward to see this, but there was no way for me to move out of his line of sight. As quickly as I could, I rinsed my mouth with the extra strength Listerine he always brought.

I could feel my face burning as I returned to the bed, but Edward was still lying there with his eyes closed. I wanted to curl into a ball and hide for a minute, but his arms shot out and pulled me into him. While still holding me, he yanked up the covers and kissed the side of my head.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

My face flamed again. "Uh, yeah. I'm . . . sorry? It just doesn't taste very good," I mumbled, hiding my face in his shoulder. All my attempts at being sexy this morning had been shot to Hell.

His chest shook with his amusement. "No, I don't imagine it does. Hey, look at me," he continued in a soft and tender voice.

My eyes lifted slightly, and he pushed up on my chin.

"Thank you. That was . . . incredible. Completely unexpected, but incredible." His voice and smile were sincere.

I kissed his lips gently and whispered, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he returned, tightening his arms around me and kissing me gently. He held me like that for several minutes, and finally, I pulled back slightly, only to see a strange, but thoughtful look on his face.

My heart plummeted. "Did I not do it right?" I whispered, trying desperately to hold back the tears that were building behind my eyes.

"What!" Edward exclaimed. "Of course you did. It was,"—he cast about for the appropriate word— "amazing. Why would you think that?"

"You're frowning," I told him flatly, and I couldn't keep the hurt out of my voice.

"No, no, no!" he cried, kissing my face repeatedly. "I was just thinking about how surprised I was. That's all."

"Surprised?" I lifted my eyebrow at him.

He blustered. "I just . . . after . . . it's Christmas . . . that's not something . . ."

I placed my fingertips against his lips. "I don't understand."

Indecision flashed across his features, and I could tell that he was wrestling with something. "I just didn't expect that to be something you would do, that's all," he finally said quietly, but hurriedly.

I blinked. "Did you mind?" I was sure it was something he'd enjoyed.

"No! Not at all," he hastened to assure me. "I just didn't think that was something you'd ever do with me."

I snorted. "Then who am I going to do it with?" An errant thought niggled at the back of my mind and came rushing forward. We'd talked about this at Zafrina's months ago.

I sucked in a huge breath. It hadn't really crossed my mind this morning when I'd decided to take him in my mouth. My body shot up, and I leaned against the headboard, staring out over my room and trying to sort through my feelings.

"Fuck!" I heard Edward mutter under his breath behind me. His arms slithered around my waist, and he tugged my back to his chest; his legs curled around the outside of mine, and he held me tightly.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm such an ass. I wasn't trying to ruin this Christmas, too," he murmured, and I could hear the pain in his voice. "Christ! I'm a fucking idiot!"

I wound my hands around his forearms as they rested around my stomach, and I leaned back into his embrace, taking comfort in his proximity and love.

"It's okay, really." I tilted my head so I could see his face and almost recoiled at the pain I saw etched there.

"No, it's not."

"Edward," I said in the strongest voice I could muster, "it's okay. It's going to sound weird, but it didn't even occur to me that it would be the same. It didn't feel the same to me."

He cocked his head to the side so I could see his face, and gave me a confused look. "How do you mean?"

I shrugged. "I thought it would feel demeaning and that I would think about your past with her while you stood over me. But it didn't. I felt powerful, like I was in charge and responsible for your pleasure. I was giving that to you."

"So I ruined it when I brought it up," he said flatly, with a dangerous dose of self-loathing.

"No! I mean, I hadn't really thought about it because the position and all was so different, but now that I think about it, I don't think it compares," I tried to explain, but I wasn't sure if I was getting my point across.

"Oh, it didn't compare all right. Second best feeling in the world, I think," he said with a smile, and pulled me even closer.

"Only second best?" I asked, pretending to be affronted.

He kissed my cheek and grinned boyishly. "There's nothing better than being inside you, baby."

I laughed, and the tension around us shattered. We'd pulled through another hurdle, stronger than before. I still wasn't sure that I'd ever fall to my knees in front of him, but hovering over him, controlling him—that I could do any day of the week.

"Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered, turning me in his arms and laying me against the pillows as he hovered over me.

"Merry Christmas," I murmured and leaned up to capture his lips with mine.

His hands wondered over my pajamas and plunged underneath to touch my skin. Involuntarily, my back arched, pushing my body further into his strong hands.

"Eager, love?" he asked with smile against my lips. He didn't wait for me to respond, though. His long fingers tucked underneath my waistband and caressed my folds on the outside of my panties. I completely lost my focus and just moaned into his mouth, grinding wantonly against his hand.

In an instant, his fingers pushed inside me, and I lost all ability to reason. Higher and higher I flew, until I couldn't fly any higher, and just fell, whimpering his name, over the edge and into oblivion. When I opened my eyes, I could hardly believe that I was still laying in bed with this man, my husband, who brought me to new heights with just a touch.

"Mmm," I mumbled, "Merry Christmas, indeed."

Edward just laughed and crawled off the bed. "Come on, sleepyhead. We need to get dressed and go on downstairs. There are presents to open!"

A quick glance over at the clock showed that it was already nine o'clock. I squeaked and jumped from the bed. Brunch was planned for eleven-thirty, and I wasn't sure if I'd have time to shower later. I grabbed Edward's arm and dragged him with me into the bathroom.

"Let's shower now. I don't want to give Mom the chance to cook today."

Edward laughed again, and I reveled in the happy sound. He'd been so worried in the last few weeks that it was nice to see him let go for a little while.

Our shower took us a little longer than it should have, mostly because we couldn't keep our hands to ourselves, though Edward hadn't recovered quite fully enough for more intimate activities. Once we were dressed, we walked down to the living room together and spied my mother bringing in our coffee cups.

"I heard the shower," she said by way of explanation.

Of course, I blushed as I realized that she only heard one shower and that she would know what that meant. Sure, I'd been married for two years, but the thought of my mother knowing what we did when we were alone freaked me out a little. My rational side reminded me that if they didn't know, I wouldn't be here, and that just made me a little nauseated. Instead, I concentrated on the mound of presents beneath the tree.

Angela was planning to come by later today to pick up gifts for her and Ben, and we'd kept Grandmother's for brunch today so we could see her open it. Not that I thought she'd really care, but after spending the evening with her a couple of days ago, and remembering my own loneliness—in a house full of people, no less—I found myself wanting to have those little experiences with her.

Dad played Santa and doled out the stacks of gifts. Edward thumbed through mine and removed two, mouthing, "Later." Mine was still the largest stack.

Dad loved the GPS fish finder and flannel shirts we got him and the new rods and reels from my mother. There were some other boxes in his stack, but after assuring us that they contained T-shirts and underwear, we agreed to not make him hold them up for the camera.

Mom's pajama set, robes, and work-out clothes were almost as big a hit as the art set I found for her. She looked through each item and told me exactly how she thought she would use them. Dad frowned at the full length pants and long sleeve shirt of the pajamas, but grudgingly admitted that the satin felt nice. I didn't even want to imagine why he cared, and I shivered, trying to get the image out of my head.

Mom and Dad had us each open their gifts first. There were the usual boxes of clothes, books, and a gift card for Edward. Then, she produced a long, flat box and handed it to both of us.

"It's a joint gift. Open ended, of course, but we thought—"

Dad cut her off. "Just let them open it, Renee."

Edward quickly peeled off the paper, and I lifted the lid. Inside were two vouchers for airline tickets to the Caribbean.

"Mom, this is . . . great, but . . . too much," I spluttered in shock.

She pursed her lips, shook her head, and held out her hand in front of her. "Nonsense. You didn't really get to have a honeymoon, and you two need a vacation. Enjoy—on us."

I sprang off the couch and wrapped my arms around both of them as best I could. "Thank you!" I cried, sniffling back tears. "Thank you."

Dad patted me on the back, and Mom returned my squeeze. "You're welcome. We love you," Mom whispered, her own tears making her voice thick.

Edward was right behind me when I stood, and I was surprised when he hugged both of my parents and expressed what was nothing short of heartfelt thanks.

"Now, open the rest!" Renee squealed, clapping her hands in excitement at what we'd gotten each other.

I motioned for Edward to go first. Of course, he chose the largest gift in the bunch and quickly revealed one of the TVs we'd purchased on Black Friday. He laughed loudly. "Seriously? I actually helped buy my own present? That's awesome! Thank you!"

I rolled my eyes. "I told you that was how we worked, and now we can have a bigger screen than your tiny little thing in our room."

"Nice. You bought me a gift for _both_ of us," he teased. "Open one of yours now."

Back and forth, we went, opening clothes, his underwear—which made him blush and slam the lid closed much like my dad had—and some movies, until there were only three gifts left.

Edward lifted the flat box carefully and eased the paper off. "You got me an iPad?" he whispered incredulously. "How did you? When? Oh, wow. Thank you, Bella!" He practically leaped across the boxes between us and kissed me hard.

I laughed at his exuberance. "You're welcome. I already downloaded a couple of your books and Words With Friends for you."

His eyes shone with his love for me, and he kissed me again, resting his forehead on mine. "This is perfect." Then, he pulled back and gave me a wicked smile. "Now, open this one."

The box he handed me was wide and flat, clearly jewelry of some kind. I forced the smile on my face, not wanting him to feel badly for something that he had taken a lot of care to buy. He was obviously excited about it, but all it brought to mind was that necklace he'd given me last year.

With trembling fingers, I slowly lifted the paper and confirmed the dark blue stamp of a local jeweler. I took a deep breath and lifted the lid, trying to fight off the nausea and tears.

When the lid came off, though, my eyes didn't alight on gold and precious gems. There was no necklace or earrings in sight. Instead, there was a simple photograph, with a sticky note on it that read, "Come find me in the garage."

I peeled it off carefully and blinked the tears away. The picture wasn't blurry at all, but I couldn't wrap my mind around what I was seeing. "What?" I asked in confusion. "What is this?"

Edward gave me a small, understanding smile and ran his palm down the side of my head. "Just look at it, sweetheart."

There, in the picture, was my bed. Well, not mine, per se, but the one I'd fallen in love with at the antique mall.

"How? Oh, Edward, it's too much!" I cried.

"Nah, he made me a good deal since I only took the bed. It's the one you wanted, right?" he asked, suddenly sounding unsure.

"God, yes!" I cried, jumping into his arms.

He hugged me tightly and whispered, "Merry Christmas," into my ear.

"There's one more here," Mom called, bringing me out of my haze.

Edward pulled back and ran his thumbs over my cheeks, wiping away the moisture there.

"These are good tears, right?" he asked.

I nodded. "_Very_ good tears," I confirmed.

"Good, because this next one is kind of for us both. If there's anything you don't like, we can change it, okay?" He seemed really nervous about the cylindrical package waiting with a bow on top.

I nodded and tentatively removed the bow. The end slid out of the tube. Stuffed inside was a roll of papers, and I carefully pulled them out and laid them across our laps. Blue markings covered each page, and I saw words like "Master Bedroom," "Guest Bath," and "Kitchen" in some of the squares.

"What is this?" I asked, looking at Edward, who was twisting his hands and bouncing his leg.

"They're, uh, blueprints. For our house," he said.

I gave him a funny look. "But our house doesn't look anything like this," I argued.

He sighed and took my hands in his. "But it could. If you wanted it to."

I stared into his earnest eyes, and then flicked my eyes back to the sheaf of papers on my knees. Understanding dawned, and I gasped, my eyes seeking his out once again for confirmation.

"Some of the family's land is mine and I thought we could build our own place there, if you wanted to. It would still be close enough that we could see them whenever we wanted, but be far enough away to be our own space, just you and me," he rambled.

I couldn't take it anymore and pressed my lips to his to shut him up. "I love it," I murmured with our mouths still fused together. "Thank you!"

"I love you," he told me honestly as he leaned back.

I grinned. "I love you, too. We're going to have our own house," I squealed and did a little dance in my seat.

My parents laughed at my antics and came over and congratulated both of us. Dad reached for the plans and struck up a conversation with Edward about what he'd had drawn up. As much as I wanted to hear that, though, I couldn't, because my mother was dragging me away to the kitchen.

"We need to get brunch on," she told me. "And I wanted some time with just you." Her wrinkled up nose and bright grin made me smile and laugh, just as it always had.

Side by side, we worked in the kitchen, making sausage gravy, sausage patties, biscuits, muffins, bacon, cut fruit, and a cheese tray. I was doing the scrambled eggs last, so they wouldn't get cold, but my grandmother breezed into the kitchen and plucked the whisk right out of my hand.

"Good morning, Isabella," she said cheerfully, and hip bumped me out of the way with a wink.

"Good morning, Grandmother," I said, somewhat confused by her casual attitude and attire. She was wearing some sort of hunter green track suit. With tennis shoes.

As if it was the most normal thing in the world, she started whipping the eggs, and then poured them into the large skillet we'd set aside.

"Renee, dear, I brought champagne for mimosas. Could you prepare them for us?" she called over her shoulder.

My mother was still standing stock-still, staring at her mother in shock.

"Renee?" she asked again when she'd gotten no response.

That snapped my mother out of her trance, and I giggled at the look on her face. "Of course, Mother."

Grandmother chatted idly, reminiscing about making Christmas breakfasts in years past when Mom was little.

"Mother," Mom cut in, "Ana Rosa always made Christmas breakfast."

Grandmother looked affronted. "She most certainly did not! Ana Rosa spent Christmas morning with her five children and that louse of a husband she was married to."

"But . . ." Mom floundered and cast about for a lifeline. It seemed that her perceptions of her entire life were all changing this weekend.

"No buts. Did you honestly think I'd force Ana Rosa to work on Christmas and make us all breakfast? Do you really think your father would have allowed that?" Grandmother asked incredulously.

"Well, I just always thought . . ."

Before I could hear the end of that statement, I picked up my mimosa and scooted out the kitchen door and away from them.

Edward met me as he and Dad were coming into the dining room.

"Where's your mother?" Dad asked suspiciously.

I giggled as the bubbles from the champagne tickled my nose. "She's relearning her entire life in the kitchen."

"Honestly, Renee!" we heard Grandmother say. "Did you really think I couldn't scramble eggs?"

Edward breathed a sigh of relief, and both Dad and I turned to him.

"What?" He shrugged. "I thought Renee was cooking."

All three of us burst into laughter, and Mom and Grandmother walked into the room carrying plates of food at just that moment.

"Dear me, what's so funny?" Grandmother asked with a smile.

Dad shook his head and tried to control his guffaws. His mustache kept twitching, and I had to look away before it sent me into convulsions again.

"I didn't cook, I swear," Mom dead-panned, and we all broke into laughter again.

Grandmother laughed and slid the pan of eggs onto the table, and we all took our places. After Dad said grace and expressed his thankfulness for our presence, we all tucked into the mountain of food on the table. There was scattered conversation while we ate, and it was strange to see my grandmother act human. I'd spent so many years seeing her as this prim and proper, over-shadowing presence that I was having a hard time reconciling what was in front of me.

"Oh, there are two presents that didn't get opened this morning," Edward interjected during a lull in our conversation at the end of the meal. He lifted the one for my grandmother and the box with the ornament from beside his chair. With a casualness I knew he didn't feel, he handed them over to their respective owners.

Grandmother rummaged in her purse and produced some cards, one for Mom, one for Dad, and one for Edward and me. Ours, at least, contained money, and I suspected that my parents' did, too, but we thanked her and appreciated it all the same. It occurred to me that it could be spending money for the trip that my parents had gotten us.

Grandmother carefully opened the flat package and stared in disbelief at the new tennis racket in her hands.

"I called the tennis pro at the club," I said quietly. "He gave me all of the details on what you needed, and I had it designed for you."

With a tight voice and teary eyes, Grandmother smiled at me and patted my hand. "Thank you so much, Isabella. It's perfect. Oh, and you, too, Edward."

Mom started tearing into the small box, and with a creased brow, handed it over to my dad. He took in the picture on the box, and his head snapped up, whipping back and forth between the two of us. "Is this?" he whispered, and opened the box with trembling hands.

The bubble wrap slipped off, and he stared at the little ornament in his hand. "How did you . . ." he whispered thickly, cutting off when it became too much.

"Edward took it when we were putting up the tree," I told him with a small smile.

His chair scooted back suddenly, and he rounded the table. He stood directly in front of Edward's chair, and I watched as my husband rose to meet my father warily. I couldn't read my dad's mood, so I was startled when he embraced Edward tightly and whispered quietly, "Thank you. Thank you for giving me my daughter back."

When they released each other, Dad stepped to me, and I hugged him tightly. "I love you, Daddy," I told him, and I heard him sniffle as he responded in kind.

Dad cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, now. I suppose Edward and I have a kitchen to clean up. You ladies go cue up the movies, and we'll join you shortly." With no more preamble, he grabbed two plates and turned to the kitchen.

Mom's eyes followed his every move, and a watery smile graced her face. She reached across the table and patted my hand. "Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to him."

I thought I did, though, because being here with my family and seeing that tie to the childhood I'd lost so suddenly meant the world to me.

Mom and Grandmother urged me out of my chair, and I followed them back into the living room, where our presents were still scattered. With patience and apprehension thick in her voice, Grandmother asked Mom about her art set and what she was planning to do with it. This was the root of their problem with each other—they lived in two completely different worlds.

Mom smiled and launched into a monologue about painting something for the guest room that would "symbolize" the beach. Grandmother looked confused and asked her why she didn't just paint the beach. And so it went for the next thirty minutes. Mom told Grandmother about her life, and my grandmother struggled to understand it. The idea of a woman working for pleasure was so foreign to her that she'd let it be a wedge between them for years. I didn't think it would dislodge in one day, but seeing the two of them together, I had hopes that it would eventually.

For my part, I poured over the plans that Edward had drawn up. From what I could tell, the house wasn't overly large, but there were still five bedrooms, a large kitchen, a formal sitting room, a living room, four bathrooms, and an entertainment room spanning the entire basement.

"Why do we need five bedrooms?" I asked when he finally made his way into the room.

He blushed and looked down sheepishly. "Well, I wasn't planning on moving. And even though we haven't really talked about it, I thought we might need them some day."

"Well, of course you'll need them someday!" Grandmother interjected, as though our conversation hadn't been semi-private. "You need to think about these things and plan for them, Isabella."

I was still lost, and it didn't escape me that I was the only one. "I need to plan to use five bedrooms?" I asked tentatively.

Mom and Dad noticeably looked at anything but me, and Edward was staring at his feet, his face pink and his eyes closed. Only my stodgy old grandmother was still with me.

And then, she wasn't so stodgy and just downright shocking. "Come now, Isabella. You've been married for two years. You're a smart girl—you know where babies come from. Frankly, with the way that boy looks at you, I'm surprised you haven't made me a great-grandmother yet. And if I remember correctly from the wedding, his siblings are twins, so you need to be prepared for that."

I was fairly sure I'd stopped breathing somewhere around the word "babies," and I hadn't restarted. Dimly, I was aware that my grandmother was making insinuations about our sex life, but I couldn't focus on the individual words. Snippets like "twins" and "babies" were floating around my brain and conjuring images that terrified and thrilled me at the same time.

I could see them—a little boy with messy copper hair and a little girl with reddish waves playing on the lawn in their Easter clothes, holding baskets of plastic eggs and laughing at each other. They tugged at my heart, and for the first time, I really considered what it would be like to have Edward's children. At the same time, I'd only recently become responsible for myself. How could anyone expect me to be responsible for someone else?

Edward's voice, warm and reassuring in my ear, finally pulled me out of my daze. "We don't have to worry about that now, Bella. I was just thinking ahead. Not until you're ready, okay? We have all the time in the world."

I sucked in a breath and nodded, letting his presence and calm wash away the remaining panic. And instead of returning to that subject, I focused back on his present. "I like the plans, but can he, I don't know, draw something up so I can see what it would look like?"

He smiled. "Sure. As I said, though, these are still just plans, so if there is anything you want to change, we still have time."

Mom took pity on me and redirected everyone's attention to the television, where she had started our traditional marathon of Christmas movies. Grandmother took her leave after Miracle on 34th Street, and Angela stopped by in the middle of A Christmas Story. She and Ben were on their way to his grandparents' house for his family's celebration, so we didn't have long, but it was great to see her again, regardless.

As we were leaving early in the morning, we called it a night and threw everything back in our suitcases before we went to bed. I thought ahead to the Christmas plans we had the next night and gasped.

"Oh no! Edward, we didn't call your parents!"

He gave me a sad smile. "I did. I called them when you were cooking with your mom. Everyone said to tell you 'Merry Christmas,' and Emmett made me promise not to let your mom poison you."

I collapsed on to the bed. "I feel terrible, though. I didn't get to talk to them today."

He shrugged. "I'm sure they understand, but you can call them now if you want to. It's only ten o'clock."

I whipped out my phone and dialed Alice, who I was sure was in charge of some family get together, but it went straight to voicemail. I left her a message and sighed. I really had been a crappy friend lately.

Edward was kind enough to hold me while I cried and beat myself up with guilt, promising that I would make it up to him and to the rest of them the next day. Despite his assurances that they wouldn't be mad, I couldn't help feeling like I hadn't treated them well, either—I'd been too focused on me.

Mom and Dad got up to see us off, and they made us promise that we wouldn't wait too long to visit again. That was one promise that wouldn't be hard to see through. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed them until my world crashed down, and now, I'd manage to rebuild the entire thing into something much better from the ashes.

The whole family was waiting for us when we got home a little after lunch. Emmett was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, and practically dragged us into the living room. Esme laughed and pulled me away from his clutches to give me a big hug.

I was expecting to see some presents still around the tree. After all, Edward and I still hadn't opened any of our gifts from the others, and they hadn't opened ours. What I wasn't expecting was to see almost all of the presents still there.

"What happened here?" I asked, stilling in the doorway in my shock.

Esme smiled at me and led me over to the couch. "We decided to wait for you. We did spouse gifts yesterday, but thought the rest of them could wait until today."

Edward wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Thanks, Mom."

Emmett apparently couldn't wait. He started tossing presents to each of us in turn, and shaking those that belonged in his pile. When everyone was seated, he wasted no time in tearing into his pile. Jasper and Alice got him some new clothes and some steel-toed boots. Apparently, one of the horses had trampled on his old ones a few too many times.

When he got to our box, he carefully stripped the paper off and stared at the picture. "What's with the lamp?" he finally asked.

I burst into laughter, and Rose smacked him on the back of the head. "Way to be ungrateful, asshole," she scolded him.

"But, babe!" Emmett protested.

I reined in my laughter enough to protest on his behalf. "No, really, Rose. That's what he was supposed to say! There was a commercial a few years ago, and the whole man cave was decorated in NFL merchandise, except for one lamp. The tag line was 'What's with the lamp?'"

Everyone else laughed at her stunned reaction, and he shoved the Packers lamp at her proudly. "I'm putting it next to my bed, babe."

"Yeah, in your bedroom maybe," she muttered.

The rest of the family was pleased with their gifts, and so were Edward and I. It seemed that Esme and Carlisle had been informed about our upcoming move, because their gifts were centered around new furnishings for the new space.

TaM

Later that evening, Edward handed me the two boxes he'd pulled out of my stack at my parents' house. "Here, you can open these now."

Curiously, I tore off the paper and lifted the lid of the first box. Nestled inside a mound of tissue paper was a gorgeous black and red corset, with garters and a matching thong. My eyes widened at the sight, and I hastily opened the other box. That one contained a dark blue bra and panty set with stars all over it.

"Um, well, I can see why you didn't want me to open these in front of my parents," I teased. Secretly, though, I couldn't wait to see his reaction when I put them on. The red number would be perfect to wear underneath my dress on New Year's Eve.

"So," Edward said playfully, "is there any chance I might be able to convince you to try these on?"

I grinned at him, snatched up one of the boxes, and sashayed to the bathroom. It didn't take long to shed my clothes and slip into the new lingerie. I waited a few extra minutes to settle my nerves, and then cracked the bathroom door.

Just like the night we'd been together for the first time, the room was awash in candlelight. Edward leaned against the headboard, wearing only a pair of the grey, microfiber boxer briefs I'd gotten him for Christmas. It was a drool-worthy sight, and it took everything I had in me not to launch myself across the room and straddle him.

Instead, I stepped out slowly and walked calmly across the room, crawling up next to him as I reached him.

"You like?" I asked, running my hand down my side between the demi bra and the barely there bikinis.

Edward was practically choking on his tongue. "Like? Oh, baby, like doesn't even begin to cover it."

His hands stretched out and ran down my body, hovering just over it, without touching. I could feel the pulse from his hand as it skimmed over my flesh. I strained against my own body, my eyes begging him to touch me, to break the barrier he'd set between us.

On the third pass, he bent his head to mine and captured my lips in a passionate kiss. His hands connected with my skin, and I shivered at his touch. We wasted no time in letting our hands wander, though. The bra that he'd admired so much and that I'd just put on flew off the bed, just before his mouth disconnected from mine.

"God, you're so beautiful," he murmured, while holding my breasts in his hands and gazing appreciatively at my naked form. Then, he ducked his head and laved my breast with attention. His tongue darted everywhere, and my eyes rolled back at the pleasure.

They snapped back open, though, when I felt his very talented fingers caressing me underneath the scrap of fabric that claimed to be underwear. It wasn't just that. His boxers had gotten lost somewhere in our fumbling, and I could feel him, hard and insistent against my thigh. I wanted to shift my hips ever so slightly and have him fill me.

I ran my hands down my body and hooked them in the sides of my panties. Edward's hand stilled mine.

"Leave them alone," he ordered, but his voice was lusty.

"Oh, did you want to do that?" I asked coquettishly.

A grin spread across his face. "No, I want to fuck with them still on."

I couldn't help it. I groaned—loudly. "Oh, please!"

Edward held them to one side and repositioned himself between my legs. Without warning, he thrust into me and moaned.

"Jesus Christ, Bella. I swear you feel better every time."

Edward was on his knees between my legs, with my thighs over his arms and his hands grasping my hips. I could see everything he was doing to me, and the sight of him pushing in and out of me, slick with my own juices, with my panties still on, thrilled me more than I could say. It was almost like he'd wanted me so much that he couldn't even wait to get me fully undressed before he took me. That thought and the image in front of me sent me spiraling over the edge.

Edward kept pounding into me, but now his head was bent so that he could watch, too. His forehead was creased, but judging by the increasing volume of his grunts, I didn't think it was in unhappiness. When he shifted, the underwear grazed my now swollen clit. The force of my second orgasm caught both of us completely off guard, and Edward practically collapsed on top of me as he spilled inside me.

"That . . . was . . . one of the . . . hottest . . . things I've ever seen," he mumbled into my shoulder.

I laughed weakly, mostly because I didn't even have the ability to say anything. I was completely spent. It seemed Edward was, too, because he simply rolled off me, pulled the covers up over us and held me as we both fell fast asleep, sated and happy.

TaM

The next couple of days were busier than I expected. Edward disappeared into his office for a couple of hours, and I spent time with Esme, Rose, and Alice. There were a lot of things still to repair in those relationships and not all of it was their fault. Regardless, it was nice to talk about girly things, like spa trips, presents we'd gotten for Christmas, and of course, our men. Rosalie told us about a new exhibit at the museum and encouraged us all to come to the gala for its opening. As usual, Alice jumped on it enthusiastically and started jabbering to Rosalie about what we should all wear.

I didn't really care. Neither, apparently, did Esme, because we both just sank back into the couch and listened to them prattle.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, Bella," Esme whispered, as they made another layer of plans. "I'm sure they'll understand."

While I didn't agree with her that my sister-in-laws would understand, I considered her option openly. I didn't have to go, and she was leaving the choice up to me. More than anything, that's all I'd ever wanted. "I know, but I think it would be fun to all go out together again. We haven't gotten to do anything like this since Halloween." I paused, then continued, "I appreciate being given the choice, though."

She smiled at me maternally. "Of course, dear. Why don't we sneak out of here and go pick out our own clothes, just to mess with Alice?" She winked, and I giggled and nodded.

Quietly, we tiptoed out of the room and went to her closet first. She truly had some gorgeous gowns, but in the end, we settled on a deep burgundy one that hung off one shoulder and followed all of her curves, before gently flaring out around her legs. She hung it on the back of her door and grabbed my hand, tugging me toward my end of the house.

"Are you happy about the house?" she asked as we walked. I noticed that she made sure not to inject any inflection at all.

I squeezed her hand. "I am. I think it will be good for us to have our own space, but we'll still be close to all of you."

Her smile was sad in return. "I'll miss having you here, but I think you're right. You need some time to develop as a couple, doing the normal things. Everyone else got that as they dated, I suppose." I wondered if she feared a mass exodus when we left.

She seemed to shake off her melancholy, though, and eagerly helped me sort through the plethora of gowns that Alice had gotten me through the years. One in particular stood out to me, and it occurred to me that I'd never worn it. It was dark blue and strapless, with a bodice that hugged my torso and a full skirt. Hanging next to it was a black wrap that would go perfectly. Esme smiled at my choice and nodded in obvious approval.

When I turned around, Edward was leaning against the doorframe to our room with a wide smile on his face. "My two favorite women in one room—how'd I get so lucky?"

Esme laughed, and I chuckled under my breath, crossing the room to hug him.

"I think we're all going out for an early movie and maybe catch dinner afterwards, if that's all right with you," he stated.

"Actually, that sounds like a lot of fun," I said, and Esme agreed.

"Are we ready to go now?" she asked.

He nodded. "We're all meeting in the foyer in about fifteen minutes. Rose wanted to change." Edward rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Perfect." Esme slipped from the room, saying that she needed to get her purse and she'd meet us downstairs.

As soon as she was out of sight, Edward's mouth descended on mine and caught me in a powerful kiss. "I've missed you," he whispered after pulling away.

"Mmm," I murmured, "I've missed you, too." For a moment, I considered holing up in our room and refusing to come out, but then I considered that we hadn't spent a lot of time, out and about, with his family lately, and I was sure he wanted to.

So, with our hands clasped and swinging between us, we made our way down to where the rest of the family was waiting.

Emmett already had the list of the movies playing printed out, and he'd circled the ones with show times in the near future. He'd even made a copy, so he handed one to Edward, and then bounded out the door to plop down in Carlisle's car.

"O-kay," Edward muttered. "It looks like he's already got the driving arrangements figured out."

Edward slipped behind the driver's seat in Jasper's car, and I got in next to him. Alice asked for the movie listings and started debating the pros and cons of each potential selection. By the time we got to the mall where the theatre was located, we were no closer to picking a show to watch than we had been when we left.

Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme approached the ticket window and were in deep discussion about which to see, while I stood a few feet away with Rosalie and Alice. The three of us decided that we really didn't care what we saw, and Rose started making plans to drag the guys into a few of the shops around us before we went to dinner.

I didn't hear anyone come up behind me, but I felt the unforgiving cylinder against my spine. Before Alice and Rose could react, strong arms pinned mine down and held me to the body behind me.

"Scream and I'll pull the trigger," a familiar voice warned low in my ear.

I whimpered and tried to call out for Edward, but there was no need. Alice started yelling as he dragged me away. One of his hands raised over my head as I worked up the nerve to scream—consequences be damned. He might shoot me here, but God only knew what he would do if I went with him.

The butt of the gun slammed down on my temple, and the world faded to black. The last thing I heard was my husband's panicked voice screaming.

"Bella!"

**Ruh Roh, Raggy! James is back! **

**So, how did you like Christmas? What are some of your favorite Christmas memories?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	29. Chapter 29: Crime and Punishment

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: You recognize it, someone other than you owns it. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this. Simple really. **

**A/N: I am not a lawyer, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so if I messed up the legal stuff a bit, I apologize. All of the crimes and sentences mentioned in this chapter and in future ones are taken from the Illinois and surrounding states statutes. They are also subject to change. Don't hold me accountable, please. **

**I think I finally got through all of your wonderful reviews and Christmas stories. I loved them! Thank you for sharing with me. Thanks also to swimom7, Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing this beast of a chapter. **

**Chapter 29: Crime and Punishment**

**EPOV**

"Bella!"

I started to sprint after James, but my father's hand, tight on my arm, held me back.

"What are you doing? I have to get to her!" I bellowed. He still held fast.

"Give him a second, son. Let him be lulled into complacency and be focused on you coming after him," Dad whispered urgently into my ear.

"He's got Bella," I shouted, still trying to pull myself away.

"Listen to me, Edward. I'll let you go in three seconds, but I _need_ you to keep him focused on you. Jasper and Emmett are going to box him in once he gets outside. You have to keep his eyes off of them and on you," he insisted in a low voice. "Now, go!"

I ran as soon as he loosened his hand enough for me to shake him off. My shoes pounded against the tile, and I pushed random mall patrons out of the way as I strained to keep them in my sights. One older woman protested as I dodged around her, but I was too focused on my goal. I could move faster than he could, since he was practically dragging Bella.

I could see the fear and bewilderment in her eyes, but she wasn't struggling against him. In fact, she kept shifting her back uneasily, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that the gun he'd used to hit her was pressed there.

His lips were moving in rapid-fire, but he seemed to be muttering to himself, rather than talking to Bella. She didn't appear to be listening in any case. Her eyes were locked on mine, willing me to help her. My fear bloomed further as James rushed through the automatic doors and into the late afternoon sun. He'd caught sight of me following him and had stepped up his pace.

The plus side was that he was now focused on me and didn't see Emmett behind him.

"Drop her, motherfucker," Emmett yelled as he leveled the barrel of his pistol at the base of James' neck.

James jumped, but didn't release her. "Or what?" he taunted. "My gun can go off as well as yours."

Emmett inched closer to him and pressed the muzzle directly against his hairline. "But when mine does, you won't be getting back up," he snarled menacingly. "Now, let my sister go."

"Sister?" James snorted. "She's not your sister. If she'd had a brother, this _ruse_ of a marriage would never have been necessary in the first place."

"She is my sister in every way that counts," Emmett ground out, his teeth tightly clenched against the urge to just pull the trigger.

James just laughed, sounding slightly hysterical. "Oh, dear God. Edward, you even managed to snow your whole family. He's never been a husband to her, not in the biblical sense any way." He leaned down a little closer to Bella's ear, making her flinch. "And you know all the things he did with Tanya, over and over again. He's never wanted you the way that I do. I can show you what he's failed to deliver."

It was taking all my restraint not to launch myself across the few feet of pavement separating us, and if Bella hadn't been in the middle and threatened, I doubted if even his gun could have held me back.

Bella snorted. "Failed to deliver? Are you bringing me a fruit basket? He hasn't failed in any of his husbandly duties, asshole. Are you so stupid that you believed everything that bitch told you?"

It was apparent by the look on his face that James was taken aback. Even if she was putting him off his game, I didn't like that she was putting herself in even more danger.

"He hasn't taken you," he snarled. "She told me he was afraid to, that you were too young. You weren't too young for me; I'd have preferred to break you in properly, to teach you what it meant to be beneath me. We can still make it work, though. I'll still teach you how to please me."

"What makes you think I want to?" Bella shot back.

I inched my way closer.

"You don't know what you want," he sneered. "But I'll show you. As soon as we get away from these Neanderthals, I'll show you what it means to be with a man."

"No! Get off me." Bella struggled against his hold, her voice wavering, but he only squeezed tighter.

His voice dropped a notch, but we could all still clearly hear him. "Then, we'll have it all, just like it should have been, before Charlie decided to fuck it all up. That land was supposed to be mine! You were supposed to be mine!" James leveled his gaze at me and said, his voice dripping with venom, "And I don't like those who take what's supposed to be mine. Maybe we should let you watch, Cullen, while I teach your _wife_ what's it's like to be fucked by a man."

"You will do no such thing," I yelled, unable to hold back anymore; the fear in Bella's eyes was too great. "Besides, that land wouldn't have been yours anyway. It would have gone to your father, and he doesn't approve of your business tactics, does he? That's why he's turning over all the control to Caden. Caden's responsible, and you're a loose cannon—too much trouble with the law and flirting with danger for him to risk his empire."

"Fuck Caden!" James spat. "Stupid asshole thinks he's better than me, with that stupid trophy wife and two kids, just to prove to Dad that he's responsible. He just wants the money, same as me, only he's not so open about it. Why should I have to hide behind a fake marriage to get what I want?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Isn't that what you'd be doing with Bella?"

A leer slowly spread across his face, and he shrugged. "Not really. I guess you'd be free to have her back once I've broken her in. You don't seem to have a problem taking pussy that everyone else's been in. But then again, when I'm done with her, there might not be much left to take back."

My hands clenched into fists by my sides, and I had to fight the overwhelming urge to smash my hand through his smug face. The only thing standing in my way was the only thing that could have stopped me. Bella.

She was trying so hard to stay strong and mask her fear, but it burned in her eyes as she stared at me. They were pleading with me to get her out of there.

"Why are you doing this, James?" Jasper's smooth voice broke through my haze. "You wanted the land for the shipping ports. We can still make those arrangements. You wanted Bella, but she doesn't want you. What do you think you're going to gain here?"

As soon as Jasper's position registered with him, his eyes flickered in fear. He was surrounded, and he knew it. With Bella in his arms, he knew we wouldn't try anything, but if he let go or hurt her in any way, he was as good as dead.

"Because I want it for myself. I want him to suffer for taking it from me in the first place. Bella's going to be mine, whether she likes it or not, but once she has a taste, she'll like it," he said cockily, but his voice wavered slightly. Then, to punctuate his words, his hand slid underneath her jacket, and I watched in horror as it migrated toward her chest.

Bella's face morphed from fear into fury, the gun at her back no longer a deterrent.

"Hands off, asshole!" she yelled and threw her head backwards with as much force as she could muster. The sickening crunch of James' nose preceded the flurry of curses flying from his mouth by only seconds. His hand flew from around her waist to his nose to inspect it and staunch the flow of blood, but Bella didn't run.

She turned to face him, no longer caring that the gun was still in his hand. He was too distracted to aim properly anyway. The heel of her boot crushed down on his toe, and her other knee smashed into his groin. I may have hated the guy with a fiery passion, but I cringed as he collapsed onto the ground, his gun hand now cradling his balls.

Sirens were wailing in the distance, getting closer and closer. I crossed the three feet between us and enveloped Bella in my arms. Finally, she was safe from him. Emmett kept his handgun trained on James' head, and Jasper strolled slowly over to us. He nodded his head at me, silently asking if I was okay. I gave him a tight smile and wrapped myself even further around Bella. She was the only thing grounding me at the moment and keeping me from kicking the shit out of James.

Jasper lifted the phone to his ear as officers poured from their vehicles and surrounded us.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you. They're here now, and I think they're taking him into custody. If you would send a copy of all that to Detective Masters, I'd be appreciative. Have a good night," he said into the receiver.

"What was that?" I whispered.

He smirked and said with faux-innocence, "I called 911. Isn't that what you're supposed to do in an emergency?"

I gave him a quizzical look, but my attention was instantly diverted by the cadre of police officers that were descending on us. Two of them disarmed James, handcuffed and Mirandized him, and two others immediately started questioning Emmett and demanding evidence of his concealed carry permit.

Detective Masters pulled up right after the marked cars and made his way swiftly over to where I stood, with Bella in my arms.

"Would one of you like to tell me what the hell happened here?" he ordered sternly.

My head swung slowly toward him, and I leveled him with my gaze. "We told you that James Windemere and his crew were following Bella and that his presence had been stepping up. Today, he tried to kidnap her, with the intention of raping her, according to his own statement. Has he done enough now for you to do something?" Anger dripped from my voice, and I couldn't control my frustration. I knew that James hadn't really violated anything before today, but if Masters had taken us seriously the first time, maybe we wouldn't be here now.

"I don't suppose you happened to read him his rights and record that statement, did you?" he snarked back.

Jasper stepped in front of him, and he towered over the older detective. "I believe it's called a spontaneous declaration, and the 911 tapes should be on their way to your office. The operator caught it all on tape." I'd never been as proud of my little brother as I was at that moment. He stood strong and allowed no nonsense from the man.

I tucked Bella into my side and stood next to my brother. "Will that be enough to keep him away, Detective? Because I would prefer that my family not have to take care of it again." I'd really tried not to use my family's influence in this situation, because I understood that before he hadn't actually done anything illegal to us—not that could be proven anyway. But now that he had, I was prepared to use every one of those connections if I needed to. He would _never_ touch her again.

Detective Masters understood my message, and he nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. I'll need you all to come down to the station and give your statements, and then we'll file the paperwork for the restraining order."

"That's not good enough," I growled through gritted teeth.

"Well, it will have to be for now. Until I've gotten your statements and heard that tape, I can't tell you what he'll be charged with and what type of sentence he'll have to serve," Masters answered sternly.

Bella wriggled out of my embrace, and I turned just in time to see her fall into my mother's waiting arms. She'd been so strong through all of it, and I saw the façade fall.

"We'll meet you there," I told Masters absently over my shoulder.

"You okay, son?" Dad asked, clapping his hand on my shoulder and giving me a concerned look.

"Nope," I said honestly, and leaned into him, borrowing his strength and support for a minute. As we stood there, I reflected how much had changed. Not only did I now have a real relationship with my wife, but I had one with my father, as well. We were learning how to treat each other again. My father did love me, even if he hadn't always had the best way of showing it.

I fidgeted a little, wanting Bella back in my arms, where I would know she was safe.

Dad noticed. "Just give them a minute. Let's go back to the house and get the recorder, and then we'll go to the station and meet Detective Masters," Dad suggested, and I recoiled instantly.

"I'm not leaving her!" My voice was a little louder than I'd intended, and it startled Bella.

"Hey, hey, I'm not suggesting that," Dad backtracked. "I meant for the four of us to go together. I wouldn't leave your mother, either, in these circumstances."

Bella pulled her tear-stained face from Mom and rushed back into my arms. Slowly, we passed a police team taking James' car apart, piece by piece, as we made our way to Dad's Mercedes. He held the door for me so that Bella and I could slide in. She was trembling slightly and refusing to let go of the grip she had on my shirt, so I just buckled her in around it and held her tightly to my side.

"Did Emmett know something?" I asked my father. It seemed strange to me that he was armed and had a plan ready.

Dad shook his head. "No, but he's taken to carrying his pistol anytime he's out with Bella. He was afraid something like this would happen, and he and Jasper had a plan, just in case."

Bella still didn't speak, but she did allow me to leave the car when we arrived at the house. I hurried to my study to get the evidence we'd collected, including the digital recorder, and dialed Charlie while I was away from her.

"_Charles Swan speaking,"_ he answered.

"Charlie, it's Edward. James made his move today. Bella's okay," I hurriedly assured him, "but she's really shaken up. The police have him in custody, and we are going down to the station to give our statements."

"_What in the hell happened, Edward?" _he roared.

I sighed. I knew he'd be pissed. "He grabbed her from behind while we were at the movies. They didn't make it past the parking lot. Jasper, Emmett, and I cornered him. I'm sure they have enough for an arrest now, but I want to make sure it sticks and he stays in jail for a long time."

"_Sit tight. I'm on my way. I'll call you when I get close,"_ he ordered, and then disconnected the call before I could respond.

Dad met me in the hallway and gave me a puzzled look.

"Charlie," I said simply, and he nodded in understanding.

"You don't think Marcus or Caden will try to retaliate, do you?" he asked as we walked back to Mom and Bella.

I shook my head. "Honestly, I don't think they know what he's been up to. From what I had Demetri dig up, Marcus has been turning the control of operations over to Caden and James a little at a time, but Caden has the lion's share. He seems to have been tempering his brother's role and access. I don't think they get along well."

Dad pursed his lips. "Well, you know that you and Bella have the full support of our family behind you. I've already called Blake, and he's going to meet us there. I also put a call into Benjamin Atoli, the DA."

I remembered Benjamin from several functions over the years and knew that he often played golf with my father. James wasn't going to appreciate the shit storm he was about to be wrapped up in. I was, though.

Bella was talking quietly to my mom, who had slid into the backseat in my absence, when we returned. I saw Mom pat her hand, and Bella gave her a tight-lipped smile and a small nod, before she swung open the door and let me resume my place. This time, though, Bella's shock seemed to have given way and determination had replaced it.

She didn't speak to me on the way to the station, but she held my hand and squeezed it occasionally, holding on to me and reassuring me at the same time. Her composure didn't change until we pulled up in front of the building, when she stiffened and sucked in a deep breath.

With one nod, Bella reached for the door handle and practically pulled me with her. Internally, I smiled that, in spite of her resolve, she still needed me, because God knew, I needed her in that moment.

Blake was waiting for us inside the doors and walked with us as we told the desk sergeant who we were there to see and got escorted to his desk. It was a zoo. People moved to and fro with evidence bags, paperwork, prisoners . . .

James. He would still be in this building. Possibly, he was in interrogation now, since Masters wasn't anywhere to be seen. Every fiber of my being screamed that it was too close, despite the number of weapons in the building that would be trained on him, should he even try to hurt my girl. My mouth went dry at the very thought.

Masters appeared from a long hallway off the back of the room and blew out a deep breath when he saw us. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," he acknowledged, shaking my hand and Bella's.

"You remember Blake Michaels," I said, pointing at our attorney as he held out his hand. "These are my parents, Carlisle and Esme Cullen."

With introductions out of the way, Masters motioned for us all to follow him back to the conference room we'd visited before.

"Jasper and Emmett are being questioned now," he stated without preamble, "but all indications and witness statements seem to show that they were only protecting Mrs. Cullen and trying to diffuse the situation." Suddenly, Blake's appearance made perfect sense. He would have been called here for them, as well. "I don't expect any charges to be filed against them."

Dad released a relieved breath.

"They provided us with some interesting information, though, that you might be able to corroborate?" Masters framed it as a question, but I knew it wasn't. I glanced at Blake, and he nodded minutely.

"The last time we sat here, we told you we suspected that James Windemere was either following my wife, or having her followed. There have been several other incidents in which he has just happened to be where we were, and he was very . . . suggestive . . . when he did speak. My brothers and I did attend dinner with Mr. Windemere, but we recorded the dinner conversation through the phone, in case any problems did arise."

Detective Masters' eyebrows shot up. "Do you have that recording with you?"

"I do," I said simply.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You do realize that making this recording could open you up to criminal prosecution, don't you?"

Blake smirked at him and answered for me. "Both parties on the phone were aware the recording was taking place, even though only the knowledge of one party is necessary."

It was a gray area, and both of us knew it, but we skirted the line anyway, confident that in delivering James Windemere, we wouldn't be charged with anything.

I set the small recorder on the table and pressed play, our voices eerily floating up through the tinny speaker. Masters dashed off a page of notes as he listened, but was clearly stunned when James made the repeated offers for Bella.

He blew out a deep breath and asked us to wait for a few minutes before we proceeded with the rest of our story. Then, he left.

At first, none of us spoke—we all just stared each other, in disbelief and some confusion. I wasn't sure what was going on now, but it was clear that our recording had struck a nerve.

Blake was the first to break the silence. "If he's talking, which I doubt, they might halt the interrogation until we finish here. We're definitely pushing for stalking charges, in addition to kidnapping and attempted sexual assault. Bella, it's very important for you to remember everything you can about what he said in your conversations before today, and especially in the times between when he grabbed you today, and when Jasper arrived."

Bella shook her head. "He didn't really say anything I could understand. Most of it was mumbling. I did hear him say, 'Shouldn't have had to do this,' but that's all I caught."

"Did he try to touch in any area that could be considered sexual?" Detective Masters demanded in a semi-hard voice from the doorway. I hadn't heard him reenter the room.

"He tried," she said with a confident smirk. "He attempted to grope my breast in the middle of the parking lot."

"What stopped him?" he asked impatiently.

Bella raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips. "My head breaking his nose."

For a second, you could have heard a pin drop, and then Masters started guffawing uncontrollably. "That's perfect," he said through his chuckles. He turned and stepped out of the room again. This time, he didn't reappear.

After almost an hour, Mom went to the vending machines and brought us all back drinks and chips. She also presented Bella with a package of M&Ms to "boost her spirits." Our "meal" was a far cry from the Italian we'd planned on having, but until we were done here, it would have to do. At this point, I was just ready to go home, eat a peanut butter sandwich, and take Bella to bed with me for the next three days.

Rosalie ducked her head in sometime later. "They're letting us take Emmett and Jasper home now. Do you want us to stay with you?"

Bella shook her head before any of the rest of us could respond. "No. Go home and get some rest. Heck, go to a bar and have a drink for me. At this rate, I'll be legal by the time we leave."

Rosalie laughed and came in to give Bella a hug. "Call me if you need me," I heard her whisper. She patted my shoulder and hugged each of our parents, before strolling back out.

Detective Masters finally came back in, and this time, he was accompanied by two other detectives, one of whom was female.

"Mrs. Cullen, I'm Detective Pullen, and this is my partner, Detective Bearns. Do you mind sharing the rest of this story with us, as well?" the female detective asked.

"Not at all," Bella said with a sigh. They motioned for her to go on, and she quickly recapped what she'd already told to Masters. When she finally made it to the events of today, she was shaking again and tucked herself into my side.

She described her fear as he pressed the muzzle of the gun against her spine and the terror she'd experienced when she realized he was taking her outside. He'd mumbled a lot, and she wondered aloud if he was high. The three detectives assured her they'd had him tested, due to the amount of product they'd found in his car.

Listening to her recount the ordeal from her perspective shook me to my core, and it did little to appease me, knowing that she'd worried about me and how I was holding up through it all.

"We skated over this the last time you were here, but there are a few things that have been mentioned by Mr. Windemere that we need to address for clarification purposes. You've been married for how long?" Detective Masters asked.

Instantly, my eyes went to Blake. He'd encouraged me to stay away from this topic previously, and I didn't want to jump head first into a can of worms he didn't want opened.

His brow was furrowed, but he nodded slowly.

"Two and half years," I answered.

His head dropped to the folder on the table, and then he looked back at us. "Two and half _years_?"

Bella clutched my hand underneath the table and was sitting rigidly in her chair.

"Yes," I answered succinctly.

His mouth opened and closed several times, before Detective Bearns interjected. "Mrs. Cullen, how old were you at the time of your marriage?"

"How is this relevant?" Blake cut in, his tone steely.

It was Detective Pullen that answered. "Based upon what you've said previously, James Windemere has been focused on you since your marriage to Mr. Cullen. Mr. Windemere has a . . . history . . . with women, and many of them have one thing in common that, currently, you don't share."

"And that is?" Blake asked tersely.

"They were all under the age of seventeen."

"I was fifteen," Bella murmured, so quietly I had to strain to hear her.

"Bella," I whispered urgently, silently encouraging her to stop.

She glared at me. "It's not like they can't subtract, Edward."

Detective Pullen latched onto that with barely concealed eagerness. "Did you have a sexual relationship with Mr. Windemere prior to your marriage?"

Bella gave her a look that clearly displayed her disgust at the mere thought. "No!"

"And your sexual relationship with your husband began . . ." Detective Pullen led.

"None of your damn business," I answered, no longer caring whether this interview could add a few months onto James' sentence. I wasn't going to have our past dragged back out and make Bella live through that again.

Bearns gave me a curious look, almost as if he was trying to determine whether I had the same proclivities as James at my outburst. "See here, Mr. Cullen, Tanya Spencer addressed this in her statement, and she indicated that you weren't involved in a sexual relationship with your wife."

"Ms. Spencer's beliefs about the state of my client's marriage are just that—her beliefs. As their private affairs have no bearing on this case, I suggest that you move on from this line of questioning." Blake was firm and unyielding.

Bearns gave Masters a stern look as he prepared to say something, and Masters thought better of it and closed his mouth.

"What is your relationship with James Windemere, Mr. Cullen?" Bearns asked carefully, and I knew where they were going with this. The only way to completely exonerate myself was to throw it all out there again, and I was not willing to do that.

"I don't have a relationship with James Windemere. I know him in passing, and he proposed business dealings and inappropriate personal dealings with my wife, before trying to kidnap and rape her. Quite frankly, I'd have preferred to shoot him today," I answered honestly.

Detective Pullen laid her hand on Bearns arm and nodded minutely.

The door to the conference room flung open and ricocheted off the wall behind it. Standing there, framed in the doorway, was Charlie. He strode in purposefully, his eyes locked on Bella.

"You okay, baby?" he asked, bending down to hug her.

"Yeah, Daddy, I'm okay," I heard her whisper, but it was impossible to miss the whitening of her knuckles as she clutched on to him.

"Can I help you, sir?" Detective Masters asked rather rudely.

Charlie turned to face and cocked his head to the side. "Depends. Is your goal to put James Windemere behind bars where he belongs?"

I fought the smile threatening to overtake my face. Detective Masters looked flabbergasted.

"Uh, well, yes," he finally sputtered.

"Then you'll be helping me when you do that," Charlie concluded.

Detective Pullen gestured to the chair next to Bella, and Charlie took it with his thanks. "Perhaps you can help us, Mr. . . ."

"Swan. Charles Swan."

"Right. Mr. Swan, when did you first notice Mr. Windemere's interest in your daughter?" she asked.

Charlie glanced at me and winked, patting the folder he'd set on the table. "Shortly before her marriage to Edward."

"And you were supportive of her choice to marry Mr. Cullen at the age of fifteen?"

Charlie snorted. "No, we wouldn't have been supportive of that. He was our choice, and all parties involved were amicable to the idea."

The three detectives had obvious questions in their minds, but they didn't voice them.

"Did he ever try anything that you found inappropriate while she lived in your home?" Detective Pullen asked, refocusing the conversation.

Charlie shook his head. "He's never been in my home, and he's not welcome there. But no, all he did was express his desire to marry her, and I turned him down."

"What made Mr. Cullen a more suitable choice?" Masters asked with interest.

Charlie laughed again. "Have you met James Windemere? Seriously, because if you had, you would not have just asked me that question."

The entire room burst into laughter, and Masters acknowledge that truth with a wave. The overt tension dissipated, but the undercurrent was still running through the room.

"Mrs. Cullen—Bella—did James physically harm you in any way today?" Bearns asked.

Instead of immediately dismissing him, Bella thought about her answer, and I instantly was set on edge. She hadn't told me of anything, but she hadn't exactly been talking much.

"I scraped my foot," she finally announced. "As we were leaving the mall. He was dragging me, and I scraped my foot. My sides are tender from where he was gripping me, and the spot where the gun was hurts a bit. Oh, and my head. He hit me over the head with his pistol, and I've got a bit of a headache."

I just stared at her. She'd spelled these things out like they didn't matter, but she was hurt because of that bastard, and they did matter.

Pullen smiled widely at her, and Bella grinned back. "Would you mind if we went into the other room for some pictures of your injuries? You are welcome to bring someone with you, if you like."

Bella smiled at me and patted my hand as she stood. I moved to rise with her, but before I could, she pushed me back into the chair. "Esme, can you come with me?" she asked.

It stung. Badly. She didn't want me with her. I tried not to take it personally, but my eyes stung, and I stared at the table. Dad shifted forward from his spot along the wall and rested his hands on my shoulders.

In an effort to distract myself, I glanced over at Charlie. "Where's Renee?" I asked. I didn't think this was something she would be willing to miss.

He rolled his eyes. "She was in the middle of some art class and couldn't leave 'just yet.' So, I left her there. She called me on the way up and gave me hell for it, but I wasn't about to wait on her."

I laughed, imagining that phone call.

The two detectives left in the room watched us with undisguised interest, but they never had the chance to comment. The three women walked back in the room, smiling and looking somewhat smug, and they were followed by a tall gentleman in a suit and tie. Masters and Bearns straightened up a little and cast their eyes over to him.

Blake grinned and held out his hand. "Garrett! Great to see you. Thank you for coming. This is Edward Cullen and his wife, Bella. Edward, Bella, Assistant District Attorney, Garrett Green."

We all shook hands, and I watched with interest as he opened his briefcase and lifted out a huge file.

"You've been busy today," he commented, addressing Masters.

Masters smirked. "Yes, sir. What do you think?"

"Oh, I'm throwing the book at him. Do you want the list?" Garrett laughed.

Masters held out his hand to indicate for Garrett to continue, and Garrett produced a sheet with a flourish.

"Well, we've got Possession, between one hundred and four hundred grams, with intent to distribute. Since he parked within fifteen hundred feet of the movie theatre and had a deadly weapon, we can request that his sentence be quadrupled." Garrett's voice rang with glee. "I'm sure we can add stalking and kidnapping charges for Mrs. Cullen, based upon what Mr. Michaels has said. Anything else?"

Detective Pullen's face split even wider with her grin. "Lots more. From what I've heard, there's Unlawful Aggravated Restraint, Unlawful Use of Firearms, Solicitation of a Sexual Act, and Aggravated Assault."

"Assault? Is there evidence of physical harm?" Garrett perked up considerably, and I now fully understand the importance of the photos.

Pullen held up her camera and waved it around.

"I think that will pretty much cover this incident, but as I understand it, search warrants are in process for his residence and offices. We're going to nail him to the wall," Garrett assured us.

Bella had been listening intently to this exchange. "What kind of jail time are we talking about? Can anything be done about those other girls?" she finally asked quietly.

Garrett sighed. "If we are able to get the maximum for all the offenses we just named, and make him serve them consecutively, it will be around a hundred and forty years. That said, it's not a likely outcome. I've already gotten a judge to sign off on the restraining order, so he can't come within one hundred and fifty feet of you. As for the others, the statute of limitations hasn't run out on any of the ones we know about, but all of the young women have refused to testify, and without their testimony, we can't prove a crime was committed."

"We'll talk to them again . . . now that he's been arrested," Detective Bearns interjected. "Maybe it will help."

Bella nodded thoughtfully and returned to her quiet perusal of the room.

"Do you need anything else from my clients?" Blake asked. "It's been a really long day for them, and I'm sure they're hungry." He was making a point, I noticed. We were the victims, and we'd been here for five and a half hours, without them providing anything for our comfort.

Masters looked appropriately abashed and shuffled his feet. "No, they are free to go. We'll be in touch if we need anything else."

I rose from the table and helped Bella up. Once again, she tucked herself underneath my arm and wrapped her arm around my waist. With our parents surrounding us, we made our way out of the conference room and immediately stopped short. Across the room, James was being led out of the interrogation room in shackles.

"Bella!" he yelled, his expression morphing into a wicked smile. "You've got to come closer than that if you want me to touch you again. As soon as I post bail, I'll show you a good time."

Bella shrank back against me, and James' lawyer smacked him on the back of the head, hissing furiously.

I wasn't sure who looked more shocked at his brazen behavior, but everyone in the room fell silent and just stared at him. His menacing grin faltered a bit, and he shook his head.

"I just don't get why you'd hide behind that guy. He doesn't give a shit about you," he stated baldly.

I wanted to respond. Every fiber of my being called me to do so, but I knew it would be unwise to engage him here. Instead, I leaned over and kissed the side of Bella's head, willing her to understand that his words weren't true.

She turned her head slightly, gave me a small smile, and took a step towards James.

_No,_ I wanted to scream. _Stay away from him!_ No words came out of my mouth, though, because Bella's voice cut me off.

"You're an idiot," she told James. "You don't know me _or_ my husband."

James laughed, and the sound was slightly hysterical. "Don't know you? I've been watching you for months. I've had people feeding me information on his . . . activities for years, so you can't say I don't know you."

His lawyer hit him on the head again.

But I saw the beauty of Bella's plan. He was confessing, after having been Mirandized with at least two dozen witnesses, most of whom were in law enforcement. Blake looked like Christmas had come early.

"Tanya Spencer?" Bella laughed. "That's your reliable source? You blackmailed her into telling you what you wanted to hear!"

"She told me the truth!" James shouted, angry now. "You'd be lucky if he was even half as honest as she is."

"So your great plan was to kidnap me and make me see the light?" she asked incredulously. "And you thought I'd listen?"

James scoffed. "I wasn't really planning on doing much talking. I was just gonna show you." His cuffed hands cupped his junk and tugged, clearly demonstrating his intentions.

It was all I could do to suppress my laughter. Bella wasn't successful. She laughed loudly and wiped the tears that sprang to her eyes in her mirth.

She turned to me with a wide smile. "Honey," she said loudly, so it would be clearly heard across the room, "take me home and remind me what a real man has to offer."

I grinned at her and looped our arms together. "Happily, _my_ wife," I answered. I barely registered the roar of rage behind us, but the scuffling and banging couldn't be ignored for long. I swung my head around in time to see James straining against the three officers holding him. The desk in front of him was off-kilter, and he was kicking it with all of his strength.

Bella scoffed and tugged on my arm, redirecting my attention to her and her beautiful smile. "Come on, Edward. Let's go home."

As soon as we cleared the door, Blake clapped Bella on the shoulder. "That was brilliant, Bella. I can safely say I don't think you have anything to worry about from him anymore."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Can we go home now?"

Dad nodded. "Of course, darling. Do you want to stop to get something to eat?"

I could see the war in her eyes. She was hungry, as evidenced by the growling in her stomach now that food had been mentioned, but she wanted nothing more than to hide away.

"Why don't we call and have it delivered, so it's there when we get home?" I suggested.

Bella looked at me gratefully. "Chinese," she whispered.

I nodded and relayed our order to my mother, who had already whipped out her phone. Charlie asked her to add something for him and Renee, who he believed would be at the house within the hour.

Then, I walked Bella out to the car and helped her in. We rode home in silence, but I reveled in the feeling of her in my arms. The thought that I'd almost lost her today hadn't been far from my mind, and I was thankful beyond measure that I still had her with me.

True to Charlie's estimation, Renee was waiting impatiently on the front porch when we pulled in the driveway. The rest of my siblings stood behind her, eager for a glimpse of Bella.

"Bella!" Renee shouted, as the woman in question alighted from the backseat. She practically ran down the stairs and into Bella's arms. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Bella said, but her voice was muffled by her mother's puffy sweater.

Renee leaned back and scanned her daughter up and down, as if she could see any injuries. "You're okay?" she asked, simply for confirmation.

Bella nodded, her hands on her mother's upper arms. "Just really tired. And hungry. Can we go in?"

Everyone shuffled quickly through the front doors and took off towards the dining room, where the bags of Chinese food were waiting. Alice wasted no time doling them out and presenting everyone with a plate, and Rose delivered chopsticks and silverware.

Over dinner, we recounted our evening, detail by detail. Bella was mostly quiet, only speaking up when she had to, but she didn't appear to be uncomfortable. She asked Emmett about his gun and why he had it. He merely said that he'd thought we shouldn't go out without some protection, and so he'd taken it with him. There wouldn't be any charges filed, since he was licensed to carry it, but he was sorry he didn't shoot the bastard when he had the chance. I had to agree with him.

After a while, the tinkling of silverware against plates was infiltrating the conversation more often than not, and Bella had stopped eating a while before. She'd also stopped talking.

"You ready for bed?" I asked her quietly, placing a kiss on the side of her head.

She nodded; her eyes were drooping, and she was clearly exhausted.

"All right, guys. We're heading to bed now," I announced as I stood up. I expected a bit of protest, especially from Renee, but they all just smiled at us and wished us a good night.

Once we got upstairs, Bella started stripping off her clothes almost robotically. With her back to me, I could see a small round bruise forming near her spine and the fingerprints on her side. Gently, I stilled her hands, dropped to my knees, and placed a kiss over each mark.

"Why didn't you want me to see these earlier?" I whispered, failing to mask my hurt, although I tried.

Bella turned in my arms and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "I knew you'd be upset."

"Of course I'm upset," I retorted. "He hurt you."

Bella tugged me to my feet and rested her head over my heart. "It didn't really hurt, but I knew it would add another charge. My head hurts." Bella laughed lightly.

I smiled and pulled back slightly. "Go lay down, and I'll be right back." I walked into the bathroom and grabbed a couple of painkillers and a cup of water. I also grabbed a bottle of lotion.

As instructed, Bella was on our bed, her hair spread out over her pillow. She'd never looked more beautiful to me.

Wordlessly, I climbed up next to her and handed over the medicine, which she took without complaint.

"Show me where he hurt you?" I requested quietly.

Bella searched my eyes, and then nodded. Starting with the scrape on her foot, she pointed out each injury, and I kissed each one gently. When I'd kissed all around the lump on the side of her head, I popped open the lotion bottle, poured some into my hands, and rubbed them together to warm it.

"Flip over, baby," I said, once my hands were well-coated. Bella settled onto her stomach, and I massaged the lotion into her tight muscles. Little by little, her tension drained away, and I reveled in the peace her presence brought me.

"I'm so thankful that you're here and that you're okay," I whispered. "I was so scared today."

Bella turned onto her side and ran her hand through my hair. "I was, too. I love you."

"I love you, too," I said sincerely, and pressed my lips lightly to her. I wasn't expecting more from her, but she immediately deepened the kiss and tugged on my hair.

Our tongues tangled together languorously, and our bodies wound around each other. Before long, Bella was lifting the hem of my shirt. I left her lips long enough to pull it off, anxious to feel her skin against mine, to remind myself that she was here, she was safe, and she was real.

Bella seemed to need the reminder as much as I did. Our clothes rapidly disappeared, and her naked hips rocked into mine. I couldn't hold back the moan that built in my chest.

"Oh God, please," Bella begged.

"Tell me what you want, baby."

Bella kissed me and thrust her pelvis against mine. "Make love to me, Edward. Make me forget today, just for a little while."

While I didn't necessarily want our love making to be in reaction to James, I could no more deny her this than I could leave her. It was no longer physically possible.

I hitched her knee over my leg and positioned myself right at her entrance. With us still on our sides, I could hold her, kiss her, and hopefully, make her feel safe again. Slowly, I pushed inside her.

Just like every time we made love, I had to stop when I was fully inside to catch my breath. She was so tight, and it meant so much that she trusted me with her body, as well as her heart.

"I love you, Bella, with everything I am," I told her, because I just couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I love you, too," she whispered, and I could see the tears in her eyes. "Please."

So, I moved. In and out, I pushed, hitting that spot deep inside her that made her see stars. I felt her body quiver, and then explode around me; her tears overflowed and rolled down her cheeks. I wiped them away and pushed in twice more before I came.

She didn't wait for me to ask, even though she knew I wouldn't push until she was ready. "I was so scared today. Scared that he would take me away from you, and I'd never see you again. Afraid that he would make good on his threats, and you wouldn't want me anymore once I was ruined."

"Oh, sweetheart," I murmured, "that would never happen. I will want you forever, and nothing that bastard could have done would make me want you any less. I love you. You, and only you. But I wasn't about to let him hurt you. I didn't make a move sooner, because I didn't want you to be caught in the struggle."

I took a deep breath and finally voiced what I'd been carrying all evening in my heart. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I failed you today. I should have kept him away from you and never let him lay a hand on you."

Bella cupped her hand on my cheek and stared intently into my eyes. "You didn't fail me. You came after me, reminded me that I wasn't alone in this, and held me together when it was over. That's what matters the most. If it hadn't happened the way it did, he might not be in jail right now, and I'd still be watching every move I made."

"Is that your silver lining?" I asked with a laugh.

"Eh," she said with a laugh and a shrug.

I gathered her closer to me again and whipped the covers over our bodies. I needed to feel her close to me, to assure myself that she was real and safe for the rest of the night.

**So, did this go the way you thought it would? **

**I think there will be one more regular chapter and an epilogue. I might get wordy (shocking, I know!) and that might change, but that's what I expect. **

**Thank you!**

**Rec this week: Evermore Experience by DeJean Smith. Bella is invited on a six week immersion event into 1820. Is everything as it seems?**

**A Thousand Leaves by BellaSunshine. Edward is convicted of killing Bella's mother. What happens when she starts to suspect that everything isn't all it seems?**


	30. Chapter 30: Trials and Tribulations

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I made no money off this story. I know you all are surprised by that because you secretly think that I am Stephenie Meyer and that I own Twilight. Let me tell you, if I did, there wouldn't have been a Breaking Dawn. Now that we're clear on that . . .**

**A/N: Yeah, so you voted and I listened. This won't be the last regular chapter because I'm just too darn verbose. Thank you to everyone that gave me their opinion, and no worries, you won't see Edward and Bella as grandparents. Not my thing. **

**Thank you to swimom7, Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing this and for making it sound so much better. There might still be some mistakes because I changed things (or didn't change as is my whim) after they saw it. So, any mistakes are mine. Oh, and I'm not an attorney. I've done my research as best I can, but I'm sure there are a few things that my Law and Order addled brain didn't get right. If you actually know, please feel free to tell me. **

**Chapter 30: Trials and Tribulations**

**BPOV**

The days and weeks following James' arrest settled themselves into a familiar pattern. I returned to school and continued my work at New Horizons and at Bally's with Esme. Most days, that left precious little time for the freedom to which I'd become accustomed, but since I was still being driven everywhere by a bodyguard, it wasn't like I was getting much privacy anyway.

The grand jury had indicted James on most of the charges leveled against him and the two cases—mine and the drug charges—were being treated as separate offenses. According to Blake, they reiterated the restrictions of the restraining order before he posted bail, and as far as I could tell, he'd abided by them. Edward refused to take any chances, though, insisting that Liam remain on the case until James was off the streets.

Zafrina was pleased with our progress, and we continued to see her on a bi-weekly basis now that school was in session. I'd finally told Edward that I'd forgiven him for his indiscretions with Tanya. We were now focused on how to move past our two year separation and the hurt it had caused.

My psychology class, intro though it was, was my favorite. I'd spend hours pouring over the textbooks while Edward worked in the afternoons. It was comforting, sitting across the room from him, just doing normal things and being a normal couple. It was hard to believe some days that we'd lived through all the hardships we had.

Instead of the vacation I had imagined for Spring Break, though, Edward was stuck in meetings, and I was dealing with contractors on our house. We'd broken ground in late January, but as I was coming to realize was normal, questions and delays kept us off track. Alice took me home furnishing shopping to give me something to look forward to. I did, after all, have four bedrooms—I'd nixed one of them—a kitchen, a living room, a dining room, and three bathrooms to decorate. Despite his insistence that he didn't really care, Edward got the basement to decorate on his own. I figured he could use his own man cave.

In the middle of March, I received an unexpected phone call as I was leaving campus.

"_Isabella Cullen?"_

"This is she. Who is this?" I asked tentatively.

"_I'm sorry. This is Detective Pullen. We met several months ago," she said. _

"Yes, I remember." I sighed in relief. "How can I help you?"

"_I just wanted to give you an update on James Windemere."_

My heart stalled, and I stopped walking on the stairs.

"_Two of the three women we previously identified have agreed to testify against him, and four others have come forward," she continued, oblivious to my fear. _

"That's gr-great news," I stuttered out. "What does that mean?"

"_If he's convicted, it will mean more prison time, of course, but we may need you to testify at that trial, as well,"_ Detective Pullen informed me. _"I wanted you to be prepared, in case we needed to call you in."_

"Thank you?"

My mind was racing with the possibilities. James hadn't actually assaulted me the way he had those other girls, but if my testimony about his intentions could help keep him off the streets, I would tell that story again and again.

"_Either myself or the District Attorney will be in touch. Thank you, Mrs. Cullen, and have a nice day."_

"You, too."

I drove home in a fog and went straight to Edward's office. He was on the phone, but disconnected quickly when he saw the look on my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.

"Nothing, I guess. Detective Pullen called. The other girls came forward, and they want me to testify. I'm just shocked." I blinked at him.

As I knew they would, Edward's arms wrapped around me and provided me with the same sense of peace that they always did. Here, there were no trials and no expectations. Just love.

"How do you feel about that?" he asked softly.

"Honestly? I don't know. I guess I don't feel that my testimony is really necessary. He didn't do to me what he did to them. But if they think it will help . . ."

Edward rubbed his hands down my back soothingly. "How about this? We'll worry about that when it comes. We have other things to worry about right now."

His tone was playful, so I knew he was only distracting me. It worked. "And what do we have to worry about?"

"How we're going to replace this lovely blouse after I rip it off of you later," he said seriously, making me laugh.

He bent down and covered my lips with his, and just like that, all thoughts about trials disappeared.

It wasn't until a little more than a month later that we were informed the trial dates had been set for the beginning of June. This time, the anxiety wasn't so easy to let go. Interspersed with all of my regular activities and finals, we met with the District Attorney to go over our testimony. There wasn't anything particularly worrisome, other than having to recount my fear on the day he'd grabbed me at the theater, but my nerves built regardless.

Esme, Rose, Alice, and my mom found ways to fill my time and keep my mind off the upcoming trial. Mom came up to spend long weekends with me and brought new paintings that would "accentuate the atmosphere" of one particular room or another. She was crazy, but I loved her nonetheless, and I was glad our relationship was finally back on track.

With my permission and input, Alice and Esme were decorating the house for us, while Rose worked on the landscaping. The schemas that they came up with were truly gorgeous and reflected both mine and Edward's personalities to a T. So much had changed in the last year, and I'd never felt more like a part of the family.

In mid-May, though, I was studying in my office, when one of the house lines rang. Several minutes passed, and it continued to ring, so I set aside my highlighter and lifted the receiver, only to find that Esme had picked it up seconds before.

"—dear. How are you?" Esme asked the caller politely.

The voice that answered shocked and chilled me. My arm locked and refused to set the extension down, even though I didn't want to hear this conversation.

"_I'm better, Esme. Thank you for asking. How is everything there?" _Tanya asked tentatively.

Esme didn't answer right away, and I could almost see her eyebrows furrowing through the phone. "Everything here is wonderful. How is your sister?"

"_She's good. I want to come home, though."_ Tanya paused. _"And I want to come see you guys. I miss you."_

I held my breath. This was my worst fear with the family. When Tanya wanted back in, I didn't want to be relegated to the sidelines again. And with their track record, I was prepared for the worst.

Needless to say, I was surprised when Esme finally spoke.

"I'm sure your parents would love a visit, and maybe we can meet you for dinner one night if you come through this way," Esme offered diplomatically.

"_Oh. Well, I was hoping I could come by. Mom told me that you all were building on the property, and I wanted to see everyone."_ She sounded forlorn and weary.

"We aren't building on the property. Edward and Bella are. It's their home. And I don't think stopping by here would be a good idea now. When you know that you'll be coming this way, let us know, and we'll try to arrange something." Esme's voice was firm.

Tears sprang to my eyes. She was upholding her stance and not allowing Tanya back into our lives.

"_Are you still angry with me about the missing money, Esme?"_ Tanya asked in a small, child-like voice.

Esme let out a deep breath. "No, I'm still very disappointed with you for that, Tanya. I'm angry at the way you've used my children. You're my goddaughter and I love you, but your treatment of both Bella and Edward was reprehensible."

"_But . . ."_ Tanya started, but trailed off, sounding as if she realized that nothing she said would make it better.

"There's no 'but' here, Tanya Elaine. These are the consequences of your actions. I hope that boy was worth it." Esme left her no room for argument.

"_Esme, please,"_ she whispered, and I could hear the tears thick in her voice.

Esme sighed. "No, Tanya, I can't, and I won't. You had to understand that your treatment of Bella alone would be enough for me to ask you not to come, and I should have done it a long time ago."

"_You're choosing her over me?"_ Tanya asked incredulously.

"Yes. I am," Esme answered simply. "I'm very thankful that my daughter-in-law is a forgiving woman, but I don't intend to give her a need to do so again. Perhaps one day, you'll make your amends with her, but until such day arrives, this is the way it has to be."

I snorted internally, wondering if I would ever find it within myself to forgive Tanya for her treatment of Edward. I supposed much of that depended on Edward himself and how he felt about it.

Tanya sobbed a goodbye, and I gingerly returned the phone to its cradle, my thoughts racing a mile a minute. Over the last few months, Esme and I had talked numerous times about what she perceived as her failings where I was concerned and about what had hurt me the most about her behavior. It seemed that she'd taken my feelings to heart. Hearing Tanya's obvious pain, though, left me feeling more unsettled than I wanted to admit. I wanted to hate her, not pity her.

That night, when Edward came upstairs, he found me lost in my own thoughts, sitting on the couch that we used to talk on when we were "dating."

"What's got you so bothered tonight, baby?" he asked as he pulled the tie from around his neck. His dinner meeting had lasted much longer than he'd expected, and he looked weary.

I shrugged and gave him a wan smile, then resumed my staring into space.

Edward's long arms wrapped around me from behind, and I could see that he'd unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them up to his elbows. His legs settled on either side of my hips, and my back pressed into his chest.

"Don't do that. Talk to me, Bella," he pleaded softly.

"Tanya called today," I replied tonelessly. I still wasn't sure how I felt about what I'd overheard.

"You talked to her?" Edward's voice betrayed his clear surprise.

I shook my head. "No, your mom and I picked up the line at the same time, and I just didn't hang up," I answered a little guiltily.

He chuckled, and my body vibrated. "And?"

"Your mom won't let her come here."

I felt Edward's shrug. "She's no longer welcome. I told her as much after I got back from Italy."

"She sounded so lost and unhappy," I told him, and then turned to face him. "Is it wrong that I don't feel bad about that?"

Edward laughed loudly at that. "Is that what has you so bothered? You don't care that Tanya is miserable, and you think you should?"

I shrugged again. I wasn't so upset that I couldn't see the irony of the situation.

"Baby, look at me," Edward requested.

I turned my head.

"She made you miserable for a long time and was partially responsible for the lowest point of our marriage. You have every right to hate her for eternity if you choose, but that's not really you. Let her squirm and be unhappy for a little while. Then, if you want to see her and . . . whatever . . . we'll make it happen."

"Whatever?" I asked with a grin.

He shrugged one shoulder and gave me a crooked smile. "I might be hoping to see you punch her again, purely for my own amusement."

I smiled and kissed him. That, of course, led to other things, and before long, Edward was laying back on the couch and I was astride him, shifting back and forth while he caressed my breasts. It never took me long to come in that position, and this was no exception. Edward lifted my hips with his arms and thrust into me a few times before joining me in sweet release.

"Yep, that made me feel better," I said with a giggle, once my breathing had recovered somewhat.

"Why were you upset again?" Edward teased, as I rolled off him and got ready for bed.

"No idea," I laughed, throwing his shirt at him.

I forgot all about Tanya and her wish to see the Cullen family. I wasn't going to stand in their way if they wanted to have dinner, but I wasn't going to taint my home with her presence again, and no one asked me to. The beginning of June brought it all back, though.

I'd finished my finals with flying colors, and I had enough credits to start my junior year in the fall. All that meant at the moment, though, was there was nothing else to distract me from the three trials for James Windemere that started on Monday, June third. I wasn't allowed to be in the courtroom for the kidnapping and statutory rape trials until after I'd given my testimony, so I sat, with alternating members of my family, through hours of evidence on his drug charges. Thankfully, he kept his focus on the table in front of him, so he didn't know I was there.

On Tuesday, I was called to testify in his kidnapping and stalking trial. As it was, I was the key witness. Edward, Dad, Demetri, Liam, Emmett, and Jasper were also on the prosecution's witness list, so they were not able to accompany me for support. Esme and Rose did so instead, and kept their hands linked with mine until it was time for me to take the stand.

After being sworn in, I sat on the uncomfortably hard chair in the witness box and glanced over at the jurors. Most of them looked somewhat sympathetic, and I drew strength from it.

"Please state your name," ADA Green ordered kindly.

"Isabella Cullen."

"What is your relationship to the defendant?"

We'd talked in depth about this, and Garrett was insistent that I tackle this head on. "He is my second cousin, once removed."

"Are you friends with Mr. Windemere?" Garrett asked conversationally.

"Objection! Revelance?" the defense attorney called.

Garrett just smiled serenely. "There have been several interactions between them, your Honor. I'm establishing a link or lack thereof."

"Overruled. You may answer the question, Mrs. Cullen."

I shook my head firmly. "No, we are _not_ friends."

Garrett consulted his notes. "Prior to last fall, how would you characterize your interactions with Mr. Windemere?"

"They were practically non-existent. To my knowledge, he was present at several family funerals that I attended, but we'd never had occasion to speak," I answered confidently.

"When was the first time you became aware that someone was following you?" Garrett asked.

This was a tricky question for us, because we hadn't conclusively known James was involved until later. "I first became aware that someone was following me on October fourth."

"What made you aware on that date?"

"My husband received pictures of me that day taken at a night club on September twenty-first."

"What steps did you take from that point?" Garrett asked next.

I sighed. "If I left the house, I took either a member of the family or someone on our staff with me as a precaution."

Garrett gave me a smile to let me know that I was doing well. "What gave you reason to suspect James Windemere?"

"Objection! Leading the witness!" the defense attorney interjected again.

"You're on thin ice, Counselor. Rephrase," the judge ordered.

Garrett gave me a look that told me he would be rolling his eyes if he could, and I tried my best to hold in my smile.

"Let's try this again, Mrs. Cullen. At any point during this period, did you come to suspect a certain person or persons of taking these pictures?"

"Yes, we had reason to believe that Laurent Villstock, an employee of James Windemere, had the pictures delivered, and that led us to thinking that James Windemere was involved."

"Did you ever see Mr. Windemere?"

"Yes. On November third, Edward, my husband, and I were visiting my parents, and we went to the local antique mall, dinner, and then to the movies. After the movie ended, my mother and I went to the bathroom, and when we came out, James Windemere was there," I dutifully reported.

"Did he say anything?"

I shook my head. "No, he just smiled at me and waved. His expression wasn't friendly, though. It scared me."

Garrett had me go through each other time I had noticed someone following me and all of my interactions with James. I relayed as much as I could about his dinner with Edward that I'd overheard when his phone dialed mine, and our last conversation at Christmas.

"Can you describe for me what occurred on December twenty-eighth of last year?" Garrett asked.

I took a deep breath, glanced at each face on the jury, and centered my focus on Garrett. "As a family, we decided to go to an early movie and get dinner afterwards. Upon arriving at the theater, Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme went to purchase our tickets. I stood with my sister-in-laws, Alice and Rosalie, off to the side and waited for them.

"I was grabbed from behind, and a gun was shoved into my back. A voice I recognized as James informed me that if I screamed, he would shoot me, and he pinned my arms down with one of his. When I started to struggle, he hit me on the side of the head with the gun and started dragging me away."

"Did you lose consciousness at any point?" Garrett asked.

"My vision went dark for a few seconds, but no, I never lost consciousness."

"Please continue."

"I was facing slightly backwards, so I could see Edward trying to get through the mall crowd, but we made it to the outside door before he reached us. James dragged me into the parking lot, but stopped when Emmett, my brother-in-law ordered him to," I said.

"Can you describe what happened next?"

"James pushed the gun harder against my back and started screaming that Edward and I didn't have a real marriage and that he intended to show me what a real man could do. When I told him that he was wrong, he informed me that Tanya Spencer had told him all about our marriage, and that once he got me away from 'these Neanderthals,' he would show me what it was like to be with a real man. When I told him 'no' again, he told me that he would have it all—the property I'd inherited from my father and me—that it was all supposed to be his to begin with."

My throat thickened as I thought about what came next, and Garrett handed me a bottle of water and a tissue. When I had composed myself, I continued, "He . . . he told Edward that he was going to make him watch James rape me and then he'd give back what was left of me."

From my seat in the witness box, I heard a couple of the female jurors gasp.

"I'm sorry we are making you go through all of this again, Mrs. Cullen. I promise it won't be much longer. What happened after that?"

I shook my head, took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself, and straightened my shoulders. "My brother-in-law, Jasper, tried to intervene and bargain with him, but James said he wanted the property and me all to himself." I swallowed. "Then, he slid the arm restraining me under my shirt and tried to grab my breast."

"What happened then?"

I smiled for the first time since I'd taken the stand. "I threw my head back and broke his nose. While he was distracted, I stomped on his toe and kneed him in the groin. A few minutes later, the police arrived and arrested him."

"Very good, Mrs. Cullen. Have you spoken to Mr. Windemere again since his arrest?" Garrett asked with a grin.

"Only once. After being questioned at the police station for several hours, my family and I left the conference room with three detectives, my attorney, and the District Attorney. Mr. Windemere was being led from interrogation at the same time. He called out to me and propositioned me again. He said that I would have to come closer if I wanted him to touch me again and promised that we would have a good time. When I told him that he didn't know me, he told me that he'd had Tanya Spencer informing on us for years and that he'd been watching me for months. He said his plan had been to kidnap me and to show me how things really were."

"What did you think he meant by that?" Garrett asked quizzically.

"He grabbed his genitals and left me to make my own assumptions," I answered wryly.

Garrett smiled at me. "Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. No further questions."

The judge ordered a recess for lunch, but I was too antsy about the cross-examination to eat much of the salad they brought into the courthouse for me. Garrett assured me that I had done well and just to stick to the facts under cross-examination.

James' lawyer was ruthless.

"Mrs. Cullen," he began, "you testified earlier that the first knowledge you had of being followed were pictures of you at a nightclub that were sent to your husband. Did he know that you were out with friends that evening?"

"No, I was visiting my parents and some friends from school," I answered, wondering where he was going with this.

"Your honor, I would like to present these photographs as Defense Exhibit B. Mrs. Cullen, do you recognize these photographs?"

I thumbed through them. "Yes, these are copies of the ones that were delivered to my home."

"Can you tell me who the people are in the pictures?" he asked slyly.

"Some of them. It was a crowded club. This is my friend, Angela, and her boyfriend, Ben, whom I had dinner with earlier in the evening. The only other person I know is someone that I danced with named Mike."

"Would Mike be the one that you are kissing?"

"Objection, your Honor!" Garrett shouted. "Relevance?"

"Your Honor, goes to credibility," the fox replied smugly.

"I'll allow it. Answer the question, Mrs. Cullen," he directed.

"Not exactly. I was tired and wished to leave, but Mike didn't want me to. He grabbed me and kissed me, so I bit his lip to get him to release me," I relayed.

"So you have no intimate knowledge of this man?" he asked.

I laughed. "I don't know anything about him, other than his name is Mike, he's an okay dancer, and he got a little too physical with me when I tried to leave."

"How did your husband react to these pictures?" he asked.

I shrugged. "He wasn't happy about them, but he was simply concerned about my well-being when I explained the situation."

"Are you happily married, Mrs. Cullen?"

The question seemed a little out of the blue to me, so I answered cautiously. "Yes, very."

"Were you at the time this photograph was taken?"

I looked to Garrett, but he shrugged and indicated that I needed to answer the question.

"As all marriages do, we were going through a rough patch."

"Would this rough patch have anything to do with Mr. Cullen's relationship with Tanya Spencer?" he asked.

"Objection, your Honor," Garrett called. "The state of the Cullens' marriage is not on trial here."

"Your Honor, this establishes credibility for another witness," James' lawyer insisted.

The judge called both attorneys to his bench, and they spoke in hushed whispers. "Objection sustained," he said as the attorneys resumed their positions.

"Was Mr. Windemere ever anything but friendly when you spoke to him?" he asked.

"He was very suggestive and was told several times that I was not interested," I stated clearly.

He asked a few more questions, but it seemed like he's lost his focus when he was unable to talk about Tanya. It was mid-afternoon when court was adjourned for the day. Edward was waiting for me just outside the courtroom doors.

"How did it go?" he asked as he engulfed me in a huge hug.

Rose snorted. "I thought James' attorney was going to piss in someone's Cheerios when the judge decided he couldn't question her on your marriage."

Edward just kissed the side of my head in a silent apology. I simply told him that most of the cross had been about how I'd rebuffed James and that I didn't think he'd really gotten much that would be useful.

That night was tense, though, and we went to bed early. Edward was taking the stand the next day.

Because my testimony was finished, I was allowed to sit with Esme and Rosalie in the gallery while Edward testified. Garrett kept it simple, mostly focusing on what he'd done to keep me safe when we discovered someone was following me and our encounters with James. The defense attorney was not so kind.

"Mr. Cullen, your wife testified yesterday that my client claimed to have intimate knowledge of your marital affairs through a mutual acquaintance. Are you acquainted with Ms. Tanya Spencer?"

Edward gazed at him impassively. "Yes."

"How would you characterize your relationship with Ms. Spencer?" he asked.

I tensed as I anticipated his answer. "The Spencers are family friends, and I've known Tanya and her sister, Irina, since childhood," he said.

"Did you ever have a sexual relationship with Ms. Spencer?" he probed.

Edward's eyes locked on mine, and I could see the apology plainly. "Yes."

The smarmy bastard of an attorney looked like all his dreams had come true. "When was your last sexual encounter?"

"Objection!" Garrett yelled. "Relevance?"

"Goes to my client's state of mind, your Honor."

"Overruled. Be careful here, counselor," the judge warned.

"Roughly eighteen months ago," Edward answered quietly.

"And how long have you been married, sir?" he asked with a grin.

"Almost three years."

"Did you ever confide in Ms. Spencer regarding the state of your marriage?" he asked.

"Yes, once, several months after the wedding," he answered, making it clear that the information was old.

"Are you aware that Ms. Spencer shared this information with Mr. Windemere?"

"I am now. At the time, it was told in confidence to a friend."

"And a lover?" he asked.

Esme's hand tightened on mine, but I held Edward's gaze.

"At one time, yes."

On and on, the questions went. He did everything he could to make it sound like Edward had continued an on-going affair and that our marriage was based on falsehood. How this helped James with the charges, I wasn't sure.

My heart almost stopped when his questions changed.

"How old was your wife when you married?"

Edward gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a brief second, before answering, "Fifteen."

Several of the jurors reacted angrily, and James' lawyer looked like Christmas had come early.

"And your sexual relationship with your wife began?"

"November twenty-fourth of last year," Edward answered decisively.

I was a little shocked because I wasn't even positive of the exact date.

His attorney's face fell slightly. "That was the first time you'd touched your wife intimately?"

"No, that was a couple of months earlier, shortly after her eighteenth birthday." Edward gave him a serene smile, and for the first and only time, I was glad we had waited.

"So you waited until your wife turned eighteen before pursuing a relationship with her?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes. If you doubt that, feel free to call Bella back to the stand." Edward was now fully smirking at the attorney in question.

At the end of the day, the two sides had exhausted any possible questions they could have for him, and we retired to a local restaurant for dinner. I knew that Edward was tired, so I hastily changed into a cute babydoll I'd gotten and opened the bathroom door. Laughter bubbled up in my throat as I took him in, laying on the bed, still fully clothed and fast asleep.

I understood, having felt that way the day before. I just changed again into my regular pajamas, and undressed him as best I could. His shirt would be wrinkled in the morning, but I figured that was what dry cleaners were for.

The rest of the week was full of statements for Jasper and Emmett, regarding his kidnapping attempt, and my dad, for James' interest in marrying me almost three years ago. The following week saw the testimony of Detectives Masters and Pullen, several of the officers that responded to the scene, and Demetri.

"Why isn't Tanya Spencer on the witness list?" I asked over lunch with Garrett on Thursday.

Edward's eyes hardened, and he stabbed at his salad with his fork.

Garrett shrugged. "She's on the defense's witness list."

My head whipped up, and I glared at Edward. "The defense's witness list?" I asked icily.

"Not my call, Bella," he answered angrily.

"What the hell, Edward?" I was trying really hard not to yell.

He threw his fork down and leveled me with his glare. "What part of 'not my call' did you not get? I promised you then that if she didn't follow through, she'd go to jail, and I intend to make sure that happens. I can't control which witness list she added herself to."

"Did you know about this?" I accused.

"I had an idea," he said flatly, refusing to look me in the eye. He knew I was mad and he was avoiding me.

"Wait," Garrett cut in. "What is this?"

"Ben Atoli made a deal with Tanya Spencer months ago. In return for her testimony and help in putting James behind bars, she wouldn't go to jail for embezzlement. My father agreed to this," he informed Garrett.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Garrett asked in disbelief.

Edward shook his head.

"Goddammit! I can't believe he didn't tell me this. She's taking the stand next week!" he thundered.

"Is Alec Winters on their list, too?" I asked snidely, no longer caring if it pissed my husband off. This was exactly what I'd been afraid of, and I had no intention of letting her off the hook.

"Alec Winters?" Garrett asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Did you even read her statement to the police on her complicity?"

Edward laid his hand on my arm in a silent gesture to tell me to tone it down.

"Yes, but there is no mention of Alec Winters. Who the hell is that?" Garrett asked, now bewildered and angry.

Edward dialed his phone quickly. "Dad, do you still have Tanya's confession on tape in the office? You do? Great. I need it. Can you email the file? No, apparently the statement that Garrett got only had part of the story in it, and she's set to testify for Windemere next week."

I could hear Carlisle's yell of indignation through the phone, and Edward pulled it away from his ear with a grimace.

"Yeah, Dad, calm down. I'm on it. I need that recording. Thanks." He hung up with a wince. "Apparently, it wasn't his call, either."

Seconds later, Edward's phone pinged with a new email, and he hastily emailed the file to Garrett. "Here. You're going to want to listen to this before you rest your case." His voice had calmed slightly now that he had something he could do.

Then, Edward reached in his wallet, threw some cash on the table to cover the bill the waitress had left, and stood to leave. Garrett and I followed silently. I was still stewing over this latest revelation.

Not wanting to listen to her tripe again, I texted Alice to come get me and told Edward I was going home. Garrett went straight to the judges' chambers and requested the afternoon to sort through her contradictory statements. Edward elected to wait.

I was quiet as Alice drove me home, and she didn't push. My mind was whirring. What was the defense's game plan? I thought through all of the cross examination, and the only thing I could find is that they were going from the angle that I was unhappy in my marriage and looking for some outside . . . something. I didn't understand how my unhappiness translated to him stalking me, though, and trying to force himself on me.

And for Tanya to testify for the defense after calling here and practically begging to be let back into the family. . .

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Alice asked, only a little testily.

"What do you mean?" I deflected. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk about it; I just didn't know what to say.

"You've spent every day since the trials started at that courthouse, and Edward has been by your side since his testimony. Today, you call me to pick you up, and he's nowhere to be seen. What's going on?" she demanded.

I sighed. "We had lunch with Garrett Green today. He had no idea about Tanya's plea bargain in the embezzlement case, and she's scheduled to testify for the defense next week."

"She's what?" Alice yelled, and had to swerve to keep the car on the road.

"You heard me," I said excitedly, now grateful that it seemed there was at least one person in my corner. "And her official testimony says nothing—nothing—about Alec!"

"How did Carlisle and Edward let this happen?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "Edward's going over things with Garrett now, but I don't know, it seems like someone should have been on top of this all along." We pulled up to the house and both sat in silence in the car.

"We'll make it right, Bella," Alice promised, patting my hand and giving me a tight smile. "Somehow, we'll make this right."

Her door opened, and she got out, but I continued to stare at the house. I was in a mood, and I didn't really want to be around anyone.

Before Alice could react, I jumped from the car, grabbed my bag, and dashed through the trees, just needing to be by myself.

**So, is everything going along smoothly like you thought it would? I can't wait to hear what you think. **

**As for my recs this week:**

**Tunes with Tony Masen by Just4ALE: It's a must read—action packed and a music lover's dream, especially if you like seventies music. **

**Dead on my Feet by Cesca Marie: It's a little angsty, but oh so good. **


	31. Chapter 31: Endings

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Don't take this from me. Don't translate without permission. Oh, and all other stuff that is recognizable belongs to its own owner. **

**A/N: I'll remind you that I'm not a lawyer, but I did consult one for this chapter. Thank you to swimom7, Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy for betaing this beast. You guys are the best. **

**Thank you to all my readers. There are quite a few new ones this week and I'm pleased that you've taken the time to try this on for size. I hope I got through all the reviews, but if I missed you, my deepest apologies. **

**Chapter 31: Endings**

**BPOV**

Sitting in my new living room, amid drop cloths and painting paraphernalia, I called Zafrina.

"_To what do I owe this pleasure, Bella?" _she asked, as she answered in her thick accent.

Her voice instantly calmed my racing heart. "I think I just need to talk something through for a second. Is this a bad time?"

"_No. What happened?"_ Zafrina was immediately on alert.

I laid the whole tale of today's events out there for her. There were a few times when I had to stop and check my emotions, because I was so much more upset about this than I had suspected.

Thankfully, Zafrina just listened and let me get it all out. When I was finished, she cleared her throat and hummed. _"You don't care about the money she took."_ It wasn't a question, merely a statement of something so obvious she felt the need to say it.

"Well, it matters a lot to this family," I said indignantly, upset that she would accuse me of not caring that the bitch had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from the Cullens.

I could almost hear the smug smile in her voice. _"But not to you. For you, her punishment for the theft was as much a punishment for her treatment of you and for trying to wreck your marriage." _She paused to let it sink in. _"It's okay to feel that way, Bella. There is no shame in it. That punishment was the only sliver of control you had over the situation, and that's been ripped from you, too. Let me ask you something, and I want you to think really hard about the answer before you give it, okay?"_

"Okay?"I answered tentatively. I wasn't sure I was going to like this.

"_Do you blame Edward for letting this fall through the cracks?"_

My first instinct was to give a resounding "NO!" but I took a moment as she requested to really examine my feelings on it. The truth was that I did hold him responsible. This was the only way to make her pay for what she did to me, what she took from me, and he knew how important that was. He alone knew how I agonized over her getting off so easy. And he did nothing to make sure that she held up her end of the bargain.

"Yes," I answered slowly, "on some level, I think I do."

"_Do you think it is fair to do so?"_ she asked openly.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Part of me feels like that's something he should have made sure of . . . for me, something he should have stayed on top of for us and for the company, because essentially, she would have gotten away with it all."

"_But the other part?"_ Zafrina asked with a smile in her voice.

"Is glad that he hasn't been giving her enough thought to remember it," I finished.

Zafrina laughed delightedly. _"Good. Hold on to that part. Bella, you have every right to want her to pay for her part in your pain, but sometimes, we have to let that go—to stop holding onto the pain and the wish for retribution, because it only hurts us in the end. The only person that should have ensured she held up her end of the bargain is the man who authorized it, and that is the D.A. He should have stayed on top of her case and made sure she held it up. Don't blame Edward for someone else's failures."_

"I'm trying not to, but I guess it doesn't seem like it mattered all that much to him. Even back then, I feel like he just didn't want to deal with her, so he went along with what everyone else wanted," I tried to explain.

"_Bella, what do you want from him?_" she asked carefully.

"I want him to _want_ to punish her and to see her suffer," I answered without thinking too hard about it.

Zafrina laughed again. _"Is the man you fell in love with cruel?"_

"No?" I wasn't sure where she was going.

"_Only a cruel person would truly want to see another suffer,"_ she explained.

"Are you saying that I'm cruel?" I asked, affronted.

"_No, there's a difference in wanting her to understand how she hurt you and maliciously wishing abstract pain on her."_

"I don't want him to want that. I just want him to care that she deserves punishment for the actual crimes she committed and the ones that weren't illegal, but wrong all the same." Even to my own ears, that made little sense.

"_Do you think that Edward doesn't want her to serve her sentence because he cares about her still?"_ And that was why I loved Zafrina. She always dove right to the heart of my issues.

"Maybe," I admitted in a small voice.

Zafrina let out a deep breath. _"Have you talked to Edward about this?"_

"No, he's not here."

"_Where is Edward now?"_ she asked.

I shrugged, even though she couldn't see me. "When I left, he was at the courthouse, going over her testimony with Garrett Green."

"_So, the last time you saw him, he was trying to make sure that she held up her end of the plea bargain?"_

I nodded, and then verbalized my answer. "Yes."

"_That should tell you a lot, Bella. I cannot tell you that Edward has absolutely no feelings of any kind for Tanya, but I can tell you that he has extremely strong feelings for you. No matter how he feels about her, right now, he's at the courthouse, doing what needs to be done to make you happy."_

"Thank you, Zafrina."

We ended our call, but I still wasn't ready to go back up to the main house and face what was sure to be an inquisition. I was too drained. Instead, I did a walk-through of each room and mentally catalogued all that had to be done still. Two of the guest bedrooms were finished, and the third was, in Alice's words, "waiting for inspiration." I thought it was her polite way of telling us that she intended to make it a nursery, but didn't want to put any pressure on us. I was thankful for that. Kids were not on my radar.

The guest bathroom was finished, as well, and the towels I'd purchased were sitting proudly in the linen closet. Someone had also provided shampoo, soap, shaving cream, and toothpaste. Internally, I laughed at the idea that we'd have a guest here that wouldn't have brought that with them.

Esme was supervising the installation of my stainless steel appliances sometime in the next week, but the rest of the kitchen was done. Boxes of pots, pans, and utensils were waiting to be put away in the cabinets that already housed a brand new set of dishes and glasses. For a lack of anything better to do, I opened one of the boxes of silverware and began loading them into the drawer. We could take them back out and wash them once the dishwasher arrived.

I was so focused on my task of putting utensils away that I didn't notice the light waning. It wasn't until the overhead lights clicked on that I realized I was working in the dark and that I wasn't alone.

"Holy crap! You scared me!" I exclaimed with my hand over my heart, as I turned to see a solemn-faced Edward leaning against the door frame.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked quietly.

"Um, putting stuff away?" I phrased it like a question, though it wasn't really. "I needed something to keep me busy." I didn't want to tell him that I'd run again today. It had been a long time since I'd done so.

His expression was skeptical and a little sad. He didn't move, just stayed staring at the floor. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," I said thoughtfully, and watched his disbelieving eyes make contact with mine. "I was really hurt, but I talked to Zafrina. I just didn't feel like talking to anyone else."

He kept looking at me, although he didn't respond. It didn't take much to realize that he already knew that I'd run away from him this afternoon, and that knowledge both hurt and scared him.

"What happened after I left?" I asked to break the tension. My hands stayed busy selecting spots for various spatulas and whisks.

Edward cracked a smile. "You'll be pleased. Garrett's going to let her testify for the defense as planned, but her cross is going to be hell. He's also added Alec as a rebuttal witness."

"Why didn't you notice that she wasn't on the list earlier?" I asked, because, dammit, I wanted to know why she was getting a pass.

Edward's chuckle was short and humorless. "Because to notice that she wasn't on there would mean that I would have to be thinking about her, and I don't."

"Does it hurt to think about her?" I asked in a small voice.

"No," Edward said bluntly. "She's just . . . non-existent to me."

"Is that why you didn't notice that she was reneging on her deal?"

Edward sighed. "Bella, to be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter if she testifies or not. You got James to confess in a room full of cops and attorneys. If she doesn't, she goes to jail."

"You really don't care, do you?" I asked in wonder.

Edward finally smiled and stepped toward me, touching me for the first time since lunch, when he grasped my hands in his. "No, I really don't."

I grinned at him. "Do you think we can escape undetected if we go back to the house now?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Bella, it's almost nine-thirty. I'm positive of it."

And he was right. Everyone, it seemed, had already retired to their own rooms for the evening. I wasn't much in the mood for . . . fun, but Edward put on a movie, and we cuddled for awhile.

"There's no court tomorrow," he finally said about half way through. "Garrett rested this afternoon, and Tanya goes on the stand on Monday."

"Is James testifying?" I asked. That promised to be a train wreck.

Edward laughed. "From what I heard, he wanted to, but his lawyer won't let him."

I laughed with him and felt a little more of the day's tension ease. We talked about our plans for the weekend—he was working, and I was decorating the house—and what we wanted to do once everything died down. Mostly, we reconnected and snuggled. My earlier fears seemed stupid and far away in the peace of his arms.

TaM

With Monday looming, the weekend sped by too fast. I didn't want to see _her_ again, but I was looking forward to her cross-examination. Edward seemed downright giddy. When we went downstairs to leave for the morning session, I was surprised to find the entire family waiting for us.

"What's going on here?" I asked, though deep down I knew.

Emmett grinned wickedly. "I'm coming with you. I want to see Tanya get her ass handed to her!"

I laughed weakly and patted him on the back. I had no illusions that the rest of the family was going for the same reasons, but Emmett would always be a big brother to me.

"It'll be fun to watch her squirm," Rosalie noted off-handedly, and I wondered who she was trying to convince, but I gave up and walked out to the car on my own.

Edward slid in next to me with a question in his eyes.

I shrugged and looked away. "Just frustrated. I mean, who do they think they're fooling? They're going for support."

"Of course we're going for support," an unusually quiet voice answered from the backseat. I jumped. I hadn't heard Alice and Jasper slide in with us. "But not for her. For you."

I sighed, but Alice continued on as if I hadn't. "I mean, I totally intend to give her the evil eye the whole time she's up there and throw her off her game. She's really easy to fluster, and it's going to be so much fun!" Alice gave a giddy, yet evil little laugh, and clapped her hands.

I tried to get into the spirit of things, and swiveled in my seat to face her. "Can we make fun of her, too?"

She grinned gleefully and nodded enthusiastically. It suddenly didn't seem so bad anymore to have her there with me. Dare I say it, I was almost looking forward to it.

Carmen and Eleazar were already sitting on the defense side of the court room when we entered. Esme raised her eyebrows, gave them a polite nod, and then sat down right behind the prosecutor's table. Momentarily, I felt bad for being part of the cause of the rift between Esme and Carlisle and their oldest friends, but that twinge died as soon as the person actually responsible for that rift was brought into the courtroom.

Tanya's eyes flitted over the mass of Cullens sitting opposite her, and she gave us a tight smile, which no one returned. She shifted her focus to the wooden panel in front of her and recited the oath numbly.

James' attorney asked her some introductory questions about herself and how she knew me. Then, his questions took a more leading tone.

"How long have you known Edward Cullen?"

She swallowed and tried hard to avoid eye contact. "I've known him since we were kids. We've been good friends for years."

"Would you say that you confide in each other?" he asked smarmily.

She nodded. "Yes. We've always talked about our problems and been completely honest with each other."

"Was there a time following Mr. Cullen's marriage that he confided in you regarding his feelings about it?"

"Yes. He told me that he was unhappy and considering an annulment," she reported dutifully.

"Did you have occasion to share that information?" he asked simply.

Tanya hesitated for a moment, but stuck strictly to the answer they'd clearly rehearsed. "James was concerned about him, and I shared what I knew."

"James Windemere?" he clarified.

She nodded. "Yes, they'd known each other for years, and I understood that James was acquainted with Edward's wife."

The attorney gave her a smirk. "Did the nature of your relationship with Edward Cullen change at that point?"

Tanya nodded stiffly, and she glanced minutely at Edward. His face was a stony mask. "We had an affair." Moments passed, and she sniffed theatrically. "I thought he was going to leave her. He wanted me and ignored her for two years," she wailed.

The heads of several jurors whipped around and stared at us like zoo animals.

"Did you share this information with Mr. Windemere?"

"Yes."

"What was his reaction?"

Tanya sucked in a deep breath and said quietly, "He wanted what was best for Bella and thought she should know the truth. After I told her about the affair, he tried to approach her several times to offer his support."

James' attorney smiled kindly. "Did he tell you what his intentions were with Bella Cullen?"

"He wanted her to be happy and thought he could make her that way. He wanted her to know that she didn't have to stay with a man that didn't value her for who she was," Tanya answered delicately.

I snorted quietly. I supposed that was one way to phrase it. Edward squeezed my hand and gave me a soft smile, conveying all his love in a simple gesture.

"Thank you, Ms. Spencer." The defense attorney sat smugly back at his table and crossed his arms over his chest.

Garrett smiled at Tanya, but the menace in it was clear. If I was her, I'd have been afraid at that point.

"Ms. Spencer, I'd like to remind you that you are under oath and that you must tell the truth," he began.

She nodded cautiously.

"When was the first time you spoke to James Windemere?" he asked.

A flash of panic crossed her face, but she hid it well. "What do you mean?" she asked, stalling.

He smiled again. "I'm sorry if that was unclear. Was the phone call in which you disclosed the details of the Cullens' marriage the first time you'd ever spoken to James Windemere?"

Tanya froze.

"Answer the question, Ms. Spencer," the judge directed when she took too long.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Who actually placed that phone call to you?" Garrett asked.

Tanya's eyes darted to the defense table and to Edward. The defense attorney's smug smile was falling slightly.

"Ms. Spencer?" Garrett called to return her attention. "Who placed that phone call?"

When it was clear that help wasn't coming from any quarter, Tanya answered quietly, "Alec Winters."

"During that phone call, what did Mr. Winters ask you to do?" Garrett asked her. It was clear that she wasn't expecting this to come back to haunt her.

"Objection!" the defense called. "Relevance?"

"Goes to credibility, your Honor," Garrett said dismissively.

"Overruled. Answer the question, Ms. Spencer. And please, speed up your answers a bit. I'd like to get out of here for dinner," the judge directed.

Tanya's chin jutted out, and I could see that she was having a tough time holding it together. "He asked me to help him and passed the phone to James so I would know what he needed."

"What did he need?" Garrett asked with more patience than his countenance showed.

"Just information," she said hurriedly. "All he wanted to know was if Edward and his wife were happy."

"And you told him about your conversation with Edward that expressed his displeasure?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Was that the end of your experience with Mr. Windemere?" Garrett asked slyly.

"No," she admitted quietly. "When no word of their separation came through, he asked me to try to interfere directly."

"Why would you do that to a friend of yours?" Garrett asked.

"Because Alec needed me to," she cried. "Edward didn't love her, and he was unhappy, so what did it matter?"

"And how did you 'interfere?'" Garrett's tone was grim.

Tanya swallowed. "I seduced him. Edward, I mean."

Garrett fiddled with some papers on his desk. "Were your attempts successful, Ms. Spencer?"

"We had sex, if that's what you mean!" she said indignantly.

I flinched involuntarily. I'd promised myself that I wouldn't react, that I already knew all this and I wouldn't let her get to me, but to hear it like that just cut me to the quick.

Garrett chuckled and shook his head. "That's not what I meant, but thank you for the clarification. If I understand your statements to the police and to the Cullens from November of last year, your mission from James was to break up Edward and Isabella Cullen's marriage. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that was his desire," she said shakily.

"What was the consequence to be of your failure to do so?"

Tanya pursed her lips and frowned. "Alec's gambling debts would not be cleared."

"Was sex with Edward Cullen the only way James Windemere had you paying forAlec Winters' gambling debts?"

The defense table shifted into action, and papers were being shuffled like crazy.

"No, he also asked for thirty thousand dollars, which I paid."

"Where did you get that money, Ms. Spencer?" Garrett questioned.

"Objection! Ms. Spencer is not on trial here!" the defense attorney, now very ruffled, screamed.

"Overruled. Answer the question," the judge ordered.

Tanya's eyes flitted to Eleazar's face, and I was surprised to see his look so stern and hard. She swallowed hard again. "I took it from Darton Construction's accounts."

"Who owns Darton Construction, Ms. Spencer?"

"The Cullen family," she whispered.

"Were you prosecuted for the theft?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Yes, we made a plea agreement."

Garrett grinned almost evilly. "And what were the terms of that agreement?"

"Restitution, community service, and my testimony at this trial," she answered glumly.

The defense looked stunned. Clearly, she hadn't told them this.

Glances to the jury and to the defense table revealed that her testimony hadn't really accomplished what the defense hoped it would.

"I want to make sure that I have your testimony correct, Ms. Spencer. Through Alec Winters, James Windemere contacted you and asked you to help him split up Edward and Isabella Cullen's marriage. If you helped him, he would use that assistance as restitution for Alec Winters mounting gambling debts. He also demanded monetary payments, when your scheme was not immediately successful. You used money from a company that belongs to the Cullens to pay him, and when you were caught, you agreed to testify against Mr. Windemere as part of your plea bargain," Garrett summed up.

"Yes," Tanya whispered.

Garrett chuckled and shook his head. "That's all, your Honor. I'm finished with this witness, but I do reserve the right to call her back if necessary."

The judge approved his request and called a recess for the day. James' attorney approached the bench, and with a sigh, Garrett followed him.

I turned to find Edward and Carlisle locked in a quiet, but tense discussion. Somehow, I knew that Tanya was the subject of choice. They didn't stop talking as we filed out into the hallway, and Carlisle seemed to be waiting for someone. From my vantage point off to the side, I watched as Eleazar approached the two of them, and I scooted closer so I could hear what was being said.

"Carlisle," Eleazar greeted warily.

Carlisle gave the other man a tight smile and looked once more toward the doors. Edward's focus was on the window on the other side of the hallway.

"She told me she was testifying, Carlisle. I had no idea it was on the wrong side." Eleazar's voice was pleading.

"Me, neither," Carlisle said shortly.

Eleazar's shoulders slumped. "Does it affect her plea?"

Edward barked a terse laugh. "Don't you think it should?"

"Yes, I do, but she's my daughter. No matter how many mistakes she makes, I still love her, and I don't want to see her in jail."

Carlisle opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as Garrett opened the door. "Well, that was fun," he said sourly. "Here's the deal. The defense has now scrapped two of their remaining witnesses and added James. He's going to speak for himself tomorrow, and that's the end of their case. I'm going to call Alec Winters in rebuttal. This should be over by this time next week."

Edward's head snapped to Garrett. "Then what happens?"

"If the jury finds James guilty—which I don't see how they can't, given that he confessed in a room full of police officers with legal counsel—he'll be taken into custody until his sentencing, which should happen the next day. His drug trial wraps up tomorrow, so he might already be there. If he's exonerated, he'll be free to go, and his bail will be returned." Garrett shrugged, like he really didn't consider this likely.

"And Ms. Spencer?" Carlisle asked tensely.

Garrett rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm going to have to talk to Ben, since he's the one that made the deal in the first place. But Carlisle, she actually helped us today, albeit rather unwillingly, and probably more so, since she was a defense witness that essentially trashed their whole case."

"How so?" Edward asked incredulously.

"His whole case, at least according to his opening statement, was that he knew you were bad for her and cheating on her, so he was trying to 'save' her. Tanya's evidence clearly showed that he was trying to interfere with your relationship and actually instigated the adultery. It killed his whole argument. And having that come from someone that was supposed to be on his side just makes it even better for us," Garrett explained.

"And calling Alec?" Edward asked.

"Simply to shore up Ms. Spencer's testimony," Garrett said. "The fact that they are putting such a loose cannon on the stand tells me that they are desperate."

I smiled a little smugly to myself and was turning away, when I heard Garrett call my name. I turned back and walked over to him.

"You are planning to be here tomorrow, right?" he asked.

Truthfully, I didn't really want to be, and I had already considered skipping it. "Um, well, do I need to be?"

"It would look very odd if you weren't there. Also, I'd like for the jury to be able to see your reactions, your facial expressions," Garrett told me.

Internally, I sighed, but agreed. Tanya was standing there on fringes of the conversation, and she was listening to something her dad was saying, with a confused look on her face.

"Edward? Carlisle?" she called to them.

Edward gripped my hand before closing the gap between himself and Tanya and dragged me with him.

"Yes, Tanya?" Carlisle replied with little patience.

"I don't understand. Why am I in trouble? You told me I had to testify against him, and I did." She truly looked confused, and I wasn't sure even she was a good enough actress to fake this.

"You testified for the defense, Tanya," Edward answered acidly.

"And? I got a subpoena, and I showed up. Does it matter who I started with?" she asked.

"You could have—" Edward started, but she cut him off.

"I don't want him out there any more than you do, Edward Cullen. He's a despicable human being. There's no way I was going to let his lawyer railroad me into saying something that wasn't true!"

As much as I didn't want to admit it, she was right. And even Garrett had admitted that it had gone better for the state because she was on the defense's list instead of ours. Was it enough of a punishment for her? No, but there wasn't much I could do to make it otherwise.

I tugged on Edward's arm to get his attention. He turned all the way to me, cutting her from my line of sight.

"She's right, Edward. She upheld her end of the plea bargain," I told him tiredly. "She just needs to stay away from us. Take me home?"

Apparently, I wasn't as quiet as I'd hoped. "Stay away from whom?" Tanya demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "Me. Us." I gestured to myself, and then to Edward.

"You can't keep me from my family!" she practically shouted.

I chuckled. "They aren't _your_ family, Tanya." I turned away from her and faced Edward. "I'm going home. It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted."

"That's fine, Bella. Have a nice night," Tanya said insincerely. "Edward, I know I have a lot to apologize for and to make up for. Can we grab a bite to eat and talk?"

For one second, I doubted my husband. For one second, I was afraid that he wouldn't see through her meek and apologetic attitude. But only for one second.

"No."

His voice was so final, so uncompromising. I just stared at him in disbelief, overjoyed that he'd declined, but shocked at the same time.

"What do you mean 'no?'" she asked belligerently.

"I mean, 'no, I won't have dinner with you, Tanya,' 'no, I'm not interested in hearing your apologies right now, Tanya,' and 'no, there will be no forgiveness from me, unless you include Bella in that, too.'" He turned his attention wholly on me. "Are you ready? I'm thinking the diner, and then bed."

On the outside, I just beamed at my husband and nodded my head. On the inside, I was doing the Conga. We turned our backs on her and walked away without another word.

And later, Edward and I rocked the bed so hard, the head board banged into the wall. Luckily for us, there was no one around to hear it. It was also fortunate that there was no one walked in later, because I was too boneless to bother putting on clothes before I fell asleep.

TaM

James' testimony was a joke. It sounded like a bad fairy tale. He was trying to free me, the beautiful maiden from Edward's evil clutches. Garrett shredded him on cross. He did admit, though, to wanting the labs and the shipping ports that were part of my inheritance, and that he preferred younger women, because they were more servile. Several of the jurors were just staring at him like he was crazy, and I wondered why his lawyer didn't try for an affirmative defense and claim he was insane.

Oddly, the court room was packed for the final day of testimony and closing statements. Alec wasn't expected to take long, and the judge had told both sides to be ready to finish. Alec was clearly nervous with James sitting so close, but he admitted to his part in the scheme and confirmed that Tanya had been coerced by using his life as collateral.

For her part, Tanya stood at the back of the courtroom while he spoke, and when he came down and we broke for lunch, she took two steps toward him. Alec either didn't notice her, or he didn't care. A petite brunette captured all of his attention, and he held her close as they left the room.

Tanya broke free from the trance the other woman's appearance had put her under and followed them out. Not wanting to miss what was sure to be entertaining, I dragged Edward along at her heels.

"Alec?" she called loudly.

"Oh, Tanya, hello," he answered politely, turning to face her, but keeping his arm around his companion.

"Who? What?" Tanya asked, gesturing to the woman beside him.

Alec looked at her and smiled. "This is my girlfriend, Bridget. Bridget, this is Tanya Spencer."

"Your girlfriend?" Tanya spluttered. "Since when?"

Bridget gave Tanya a tolerant smile. "We've been together for about three and half years."

"But . . . but you said . . ." Tanya was completely lost.

Alec gave her a strange look. "I said what I had to. Surely you didn't think . . . Oh, God, you did. I'm so sorry, Tanya."

"But I love you, Alec," she whispered as tears built in her eyes. "I always have."

Alec gave her a sad smile. "And you know that I could never return it like you needed me to. It's been good to see you, but I've got a GA meeting to get to." Without another word, he and Bridget turned and walked away.

Tanya crumpled right there in the middle of the courthouse.

She was making such a scene that I tried to get her to move, but she was inconsolable and immovable.

Finally, after about five minutes, I looked at Edward and glared. "Aren't you going to do something about this?" I waved my arms around her prostrate, sobbing figure.

"No," he snorted. "Leave her. Someone will shove her down the stairs eventually, when they get tired of listening to her wail."

My eyes got rounder and rounder with each word he spoke, and I was completely stunned when I realized he was completely serious.

"Edward?" I whispered, not sure how I felt about this colder version of my husband.

"Oh, all right," he sighed, and dialed Rose and asked her to come peel Tanya off the linoleum. While we waited for her to come outside, Tanya tried to get his attention, but he just ignored her.

As soon as she was bundled into Rosalie's car and on her way to a local hotel, Edward and I sat down at a local sandwich shop, before heading back inside.

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?" I asked. I'd never seen Edward be so . . . uninterested in someone in need of help.

He raised his eyebrows at me. "What what was about?"

"Tanya? I've never seen you that callous."

He sighed and shook his head. "It's not callousness, Bella. I just don't care. That woman took advantage of me, was horrible to you, and did everything in her power to make sure I lost you. Pardon me for not caring that the guy she did it all for moved on years ago and doesn't give a shit about her. It's kind of divine retribution, I guess. Let her suffer."

"You really mean that, don't you?" I asked, astonished.

He nodded. "I do. Bella, I saw what my affair with her did to you, and I know that hurting you almost ripped my heart out. No true friend would have stood by and watched that happen, much less helped it along on purpose. I'm sorry she's hurt, but she caused that train wreck herself."

I didn't respond, because I really didn't know what to say. He was right, of course. I just hadn't expected him to feel so strongly about it. I guess part of me was still waiting for him to rush to her rescue; that clearly wasn't going to happen any time soon. I took my time thinking through it all, munching on my sandwich while Edward did something with his phone.

"How quickly can you pack for a two week vacation?" Edward asked out of the blue.

"Um, why?" I asked with a mouth full of bread.

Edward cocked his head to the side and grinned boyishly at me. "Because I think we should leave as soon as the verdict is read. What do you say?"

"Two weeks?" I gasped at him. I couldn't fathom that kind of uninterrupted time with my husband.

"Yeah, we'll be gone on our anniversary, have a little time just for us in the Caribbean sun." He was trying to entice me. He just didn't know I was already sold.

"Do you think you can make arrangements that fast?" I asked, trying to keep the hope out of my voice.

Edward's phone was to his ear before I could finish. "Hey, Julia. You remember those flight vouchers I dropped off? I want to use them. Two days. Where would you suggest? All-inclusive for two weeks. Don't care. Okay, email me the options. Thanks!"

"And?" I couldn't contain it anymore.

"She suggested Jamaica."

I picked up my phone and sent a quick text. _**Alice, I need two week's worth of clothes for Jamaica by tomorrow. Help!**_

"I'll be packed before we get home," I told him, and he grinned.

When we got back to the courtroom, Garrett told us that the judge had dismissed us all for the day and that closing statements would start at nine sharp in the morning. I didn't want to miss the sentencing, but the thought of spending two weeks with a mostly naked Edward made me not care as much.

On the way home, Edward returned to our earlier conversation about our trip. "Julia is suggesting Breezes Runaway Bay in Jamaica. It's been recently renovated and is all adult," Edward told me, while staring at his phone. We had a lot to do if we were going to be leaving on Friday, and we wouldn't have a lot of time to goof off. "She also said that we might enjoy Hedonism II in Negril."

I bit my lip while I thought about it. "Can we look them up first?"

"Sure. Let's go to my office and pull them up," he answered, as we slid into his usual spot in the driveway.

After comparing the two, we decided that Breezes looked a little more sedate and relaxing, more our speed. We could always get passes for Hedonism if we wanted to experience it. Julia promised that our itineraries and ticket confirmations would be emailed within the next couple of hours.

I went into my office to call Rachel and let her know that I would continue to be out for two more weeks. She and the girls had been very understanding about my need to miss our time together during the trial. Tina and Avery had gone so far to tell me that they were really proud of me for standing up to someone that tried to hurt me and for making sure they got punished. If nothing else good came from this, at least my girls got to see that.

Rachel laughed when I told her that I needed a vacation and whole-heartedly agreed with me. She also said that she wanted to talk to me about redoing the program for the summer, since all the kids were out of school. I asked her to send me some ideas that I could think about while we traveled. She laughed again and told me that she really didn't think my head would be filled with teenage girls.

I blushed, even though she couldn't see me, and laughed nervously. A slamming door down the hall distracted me, and I hurriedly ended my conversation with Rachel to see what was going on.

"—just got your email. What do you mean you are going to be gone for the next two weeks?" Carlisle asked angrily.

"I _mean_, Bella and I are taking our honeymoon after the trial wraps up on Friday, and I will be in Jamaica for the next two weeks and unavailable," Edward answered evenly.

"Don't you think you should have given me a little more warning? You've been out for almost a month now, and you're just taking another two weeks?" Carlisle practically shouted.

"First of all, I haven't been out for a month. I've worked every day, even if I wasn't here. And in the last month, I've had to deal with the trial for my wife's stalking and kidnapping. Then, to top it all off, Tanya's wreaked havoc on the last week. Work interfered with my honeymoon and when Bella and I were trying to fix our marriage. I need to get her out of here for awhile, and I need a break, Dad." At the end, Edward's voice was weary, and internally, I kicked myself for not seeing how much this month had taken out of him.

Carlisle was quiet for a minute, and I used that time to slip into the room. Edward was leaning against his desk, with his shoulders hunched over. 

"Everything okay in here?" I asked quietly, as I slipped my arm around Edward's back.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, it's fine. Edward just told me about your vacation, and I was surprised. You do need it, though. Edward, let me know if there is anything you need me to handle while you're gone, and direct everyone to call me so you aren't disturbed, okay?"

"Thanks, Dad," he whispered. "I'll email you everything that might need attention in the next two weeks."Carlisle lightly stepped from the room and closed the door behind him.

Edward sank into his desk chair. "Well, that went better than I'd expected."

I laughed. "So, I guess you'll be down here awhile?"

He rolled his eyes. "Pack for me? Please?"

"Of course." I kissed him quickly and headed upstairs to gather everything we would need for the next two weeks.

TaM

Garrett started the morning genially. He looked happy, well rested, and confident. He led the jury through each witnesses' testimony and broke down the terror that James had put me through. He clarified that James had confessed after having been Mirandized in the police station, and that each time we'd spoken, I had rebuffed him and given him no indication I was interested. He asked the jury to keep each of these things in mind as they decided his fate.

James' attorney was a little less kempt, but his presence was overwhelming. He refuted Garrett's interpretation of the evidence and pushed their theory that James was trying to protect me and get me away from someone that was only hurting me. He used the affair and our physical separation as proof that our marriage was toxic. By the time he wrapped up, he'd beaten his theory and the scant evidence supporting it into the ground.

The judge passed out his instructions to the jury and reiterated what constituted each of the charges. Then, with a passel of information, he dismissed them to the jury room and adjourned court.

"What now?" I whispered to Edward.

He laughed and whispered back, "Now we wait for them to convict him."

"No, you ass!" I smacked his arm and laughed. "I meant, what do you want to do now? As in, while we wait."

"Oh. Well . . . Panera?" he suggested.

I could already taste the blueberry scones on my tongue, and I nodded eagerly. Edward just laughed at my expression, tucked my hand into the crook of his arm, and we strolled out into the bright summer day. There was a crispness in the air, and a lightness in my heart that hadn't been there in so long, and I relished the feeling.

We'd managed to hit Panera right in the middle of the lunch rush, so it took a few minutes for them to serve up our sandwiches, soup, macaroni and cheese, and my scone. We chatted and ate, tentatively planned a couple of day trips we wanted to take while we were in Jamaica, and activities we wanted to experience . . . and we waited.

It was after three when the call finally came in that the jury had reached a verdict. We raced back to the courthouse and crowded into the courtroom, just as they filed back in and took their seats.

Nervously, Edward and I grasped hands and sat on the edges of our seats.

"Have you reached a verdict?" the judge asked the foreman.

"We have, your Honor," he answered formally.

"Please pass it to the bailiff."

The judge read the note, and then turned to the defense table. "Will the defendant please rise?"

James stood, still looking confident in his chances.

"On the first count of stalking in the second degree, how do you find?"

The foreman's voice rang loud and clear. "We find the defendant guilty."

"On the count of kidnapping in the first degree, how do you find?"

"We find the defendant guilty."

"On the count of aggravated assault, how do you find?"

"We find the defendant guilty."

"On the final charge of Solicitation of a Sexual Act, how do you find?"

"Guilty, your Honor."

My heart felt like it was going to burst, and cheers erupted in the courtroom. Edward hugged me tightly and swung me around, before kissing me soundly. I couldn't suppress the smile that overtook my face.

"Order!" the judge yelled, banging his gavel. Instantly, the fanfare died down.

"I want to thank the members of the jury for their service. We still have one more task that we will ask you to perform, before completing your duty to the state. Because of the late hour, we will reconvene at nine A.M. to begin sentencing. The defendant will be remanded into custody immediately. Thank you; that is all."

Chaos reigned as various members of our family thanked Garrett for the excellent job he'd done. I managed to catch a glimpse of James being escorted out, looking the picture of surprised and dejected.

"Come on! Let's get some dinner!" someone shouted, and we were shuffled out with the rest of the family.

It wasn't until we arrived at the restaurant that I realized Eleazar and Carmen had spearheaded our victory celebration dinner. I tugged on Edward's arm and frowned, motioning to them with my head.

His own frown appeared, but he took my hand and walked confidently across the parking lot.

He hugged both of them, and then took a step back. "Thank you for this, but we won't be joining you."

"But you must!" Carmen insisted. "It's all for you!"

Eleazar's eyes darkened a bit, and his countenance fell slightly. "She's not been invited," he whispered to Edward, "and will not be welcome to join us. Please, let us treat you."

Carmen looked slightly hurt, but gave me a welcoming smile. I was reminded of how sweet she'd been on that disastrous weekend we'd spent at her home.

Edward looked to me for the decision. Knowing that she wouldn't be ruining our celebration of James' downfall made it all the more sweet. "Of course," I answered. "Thank you for the invitation."

The Italian place they'd chosen ushered us into a large room off to the side, where they'd wedged several tables together. Between the Cullens, my parents, and the Spencers, it was quite the gathering. We ate, drank, and talked throughout the evening, both Edward and myself fielding questions about our upcoming "honeymoon," as Alice had dubbed it.

We were almost done with our meal, when the entire room fell silent almost instantly. With my back to the door, I whipped around to see what everyone was staring at and met the eyes of Marcus Windemere and a younger man that resembled James, only with dark, neatly styled hair.

"I apologize for intruding upon this family celebration, but I wanted a word with Isabella and Edward," Marcus said in a quiet, but authoritative and rumbly voice. "I didn't think you'd see me any other way."

He was probably correct about that, but in the interest of being polite, I stood and motioned for him to lead the way to the front of the restaurant. Edward followed closely behind me.

"Isabella, Edward, this is my son, Caden," he said, introducing the man standing with him.

We greeted him politely and turned our attention back to Marcus.

"I want to apologize for my other son's behavior. I will not excuse it, because there is _no_ excuse for him." His voice hardened on the last bit. "Had I known what he was up to, I would have reeled him in sooner, but I suppose that it is no surprise to you now that we haven't spoken in some time."

I was surprised, actually, and I let him know it.

He nodded at me and gave me a tight smile. "He tried to take the business in a direction I was not comfortable will several years ago, and I removed him from management. He struck out on his own, and it seems that he didn't change the way his thoughts were bent. Please know that Caden and I have nothing in common with him, business or personality-wise, and that you may call on us if you ever have the need."

His very genuine offer both shocked and touched me. "Thank you. I appreciate you coming here to tell us that. I'm sorry that your son is now in prison—"

"I'm not," Caden snorted.

I giggled. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved that he's off the street."

Marcus agreed with me, apologized again, shook our hands, and disappeared into the evening.

It was the perfect cap-off to an otherwise wonderful day.

The next morning was hectic. Edward and I loaded our luggage into the car, checked on the house, and prepared for our trip, because we were leaving straight from the courthouse. Our flight tonight wasn't until six in the evening, but we were going to have a lay-over in Atlanta and leave from there in the morning. It was much better than leaving home at two A.M. the next day.

The courthouse was bustling when we got there, but we managed to get our seats just as the judge entered and had the jury seated. James stared at the table, while Garrett and a probation officer read through each charge and the sentencing ranges for each one. While the normal penalty for kidnapping was three to seven years, Garrett instructed the jury that they needed to add fifteen years on because he'd used a gun and that he had to serve at least eighty-five percent of the sentence, because it was considered a violent crime. He also got to tell them about the drug charges James had been convicted of two days prior, but hadn't been sentenced for.

It took hours to get through it all. The jurors took copious amounts of notes and listened with far more patience than I had. James showed no emotion through it all. When the judge finally dismissed them, my head was spinning. Edward and I ate almost silently at the sandwich shop we'd gone to days before, and Edward checked his watch compulsively. We had to leave by three thirty, and he'd already informed me that his dad would call us if the sentence hadn't come down by then. We were both a mass of nerves.

The call came just before three o'clock. In just under four hours, the jury had decided James' fate, and we would have enough time to see it delivered.

Because James hadn't actually made it anywhere but the parking lot with me, they'd decided on five years for the kidnapping, with the additional fifteen for using the gun. They chose the max for the stalking, because it had gone on so long and culminated in the kidnapping attempt, so that added three years. The jury also decided on six months each for the solicitation and assault charges. Since they would be served consecutively, he would be in jail for twenty-four years. They also recommended that he undergo psychiatric evaluation and therapy while incarcerated.

Twenty-four years.

And twenty-four minutes to make it to the airport.

Edward and I thanked Garrett and ran with huge smiles to his car to start the rest of our lives.

**Despite the name of this chapter, this is not the end of this story. It just won't quit. I can tell you for sure, though, that the next one will be last one before the epilogue. I'll wait until then to get all sappy on you. **

**This week's rec:**

**In Your World by solostintwilight: Bella flees from her home and Jacob only to find sanctuary in an Amish community. It's just getting started and it is simply fantastic. **


	32. Chapter 32: Honeymoon

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: Twilight isn't mine and neither is anything on the island of Jamaica, although I'd love to be able to visit again soon. **

**A/N: Thank you, swimom7 and Jenny Cullen for pulling beta duty for me. You all really make my writing better and give me a lot to think about. Give your thoughts to bonnysammy who is having illness troubles through her pregnancy and needs all the love she can get. That and she's just darling. I'm also sorry this is late. I somehow managed to not save some of my changes and the storms last night threw me for a loop. We are all okay in case anyone saw my twitter posts. **

**Thank you to everyone that is still reading and all those that review. Your feedback is essential and somewhat like a drug to me. **

**Chapter 32: Honeymoon**

**EPOV**

Twenty-four years with no hope of parole for seventeen of them. Those were some of the happiest words I'd heard in a long time. They were for Bella, too, and we celebrated all night. I'd always heard that hotel sex was fantastic, but I'd never had the ability to experience it before now.

I'd also never known that Bella loved airports. As soon as I parked the car, she got really excited—like bouncing in the seat excited. She said it was the thrill of everyone embarking on an adventure, including her, and that she couldn't wait to get in there. Having flown on crappy business trips for so long, I didn't share her enthusiasm, and she practically dragged me through the terminal.

We grabbed dinner before our flight, since we wouldn't get in until almost nine, and then settled into our business class seats. When we arrived, we grabbed our carry-ons and took the shuttle to the hotel where we were staying for our layover. Bella, of course, wanted to go down to the pool first. When I saw what she was planning on wearing, I decided I didn't mind. It was this little blue, white, and green bikini that left little to my imagination, but definitely stirred up some fantasies.

The pool water was fucking freezing.

Not only did it make Bella's nipples harden instantly, it drove her right into the hot tub, where we could cuddle and make out in _warm _water. Of course, the proximity of her tight little body made other things harden, and she used that to her advantage, constantly rubbing up against me when she thought no one was looking.

Finally, I'd had enough. I climbed out of the water, with Bella laughing behind me, and wrapped a towel around my waist. There was no need for the three kids swimming in that ice cube laden water to get a show. Their dad gave me a look that clearly said, 'poor bastard,' until Bella got out, and his eyes bugged out of his head. Yeah, I covered her up pretty damn quick and pushed her through the doors.

Back in our room, the door had barely clicked shut, when I pressed her against the wall. Her fingers fumbled for the ties on my board shorts, and I unhooked her bikini top at the first opportunity. Her skin tasted like pure Bella and chlorine, as I lavished her nipples with my tongue.

"Oh, God, Edward, take me right here," she moaned. At least, I thought that was what she said.

"Right here?" I grunted, as I shoved my board shorts down and freed my cock.

She nodded and wiggled out of her bikini bottoms.

My eyes raked her naked body. She was so beautiful. Her hooded eyes gazed up at me, and her teeth sank into her pouty lower lip. That sent me over the edge.

My lips crashed into hers, and I lifted her, my hands cupping her perfect ass. Bella looped her legs around my waist and sank onto me in one swift move.

There was no way to hold in the groan that came with the feeling of her tight, wet heat surrounding me. Clumsily, I backed her into the wall for leverage and let go. Over and over, I pounded into my wife, while she dug her fingers into my hair and moaned in ecstasy.

"Harder," she panted into my ear, and I was all too eager to oblige. I could feel my orgasm building, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold off long like this.

"Come for me, Bella," I said through gritted teeth. "Let me feel you."

"Don't stop," she yelled, pulling my hair tighter in her fists. And then I felt it. Her walls clenched around me, and she screamed my name. My own orgasm hit me like a freight train, and I pulsed inside of her, even as we slid to the floor with my life cradled in my arms.

"I love you," I whispered as I caught my breath.

"Mmm, love you, too," she mumbled. 

I pulled back and looked down at her, only to see that her eyes were closed and a small smile graced her lips as she drifted off to sleep.

With the last of my energy, I carried her over to the bed and laid her down. After retrieving a wash cloth from the bathroom and cleaning her up a bit, I slid her between the sheets. She mumbled something, but I couldn't understand her.

I cleaned myself up and put on a pair of underwear, before calling for a wake-up call and crawling in next to her. Her body molded to mine in a way that I couldn't have imagined a year ago. This was where I was always meant to be, and I would be forever thankful that she'd given me a second chance.

The wake-up call came in far too early, and I tried to burrow into the pillows to escape the wretched noise of the phone. Luckily for me, it cut off after just three rings. Unluckily, it was Bella who answered it, and all of her excitement had returned. That included hitting me with a pillow until I rolled out of bed. Within twenty minutes, she was showered, dressed, and repacked. I was still willing myself to wake up.

Bella disappeared while I finished dressing, and for one second, I panicked. Then, I remembered that James and his cronies were far away and James was in prison. Bella was safe here. It served to make me more alert, though. Bella's gift of coffee when she returned finished the job.

Bella's eagerness was infectious, and I found myself losing the uptight mantle I'd been carrying and letting loose with her. About halfway through our flight, Bella pulled out all the information she'd gathered about the resort and started chatting about all the things she wanted to do and all the places she wanted to eat.

"Bella," I said with a laugh, "we can eat at all of these places. It's an all-inclusive resort."

She continued to chatter, and I kept half an ear on her excited ramblings because I was lost in my own thoughts. Our anniversary was in six days, and I wanted to ask her to marry me all over again. Then, I wanted to actually do it on our anniversary. This time, I wanted to do it for us, not for everyone else, and I hoped Bella felt the same. I wasn't sure how I would feel if she didn't agree, and that made my nerves explode.

Fortunately for me, Bella didn't notice my distraction. She was too caught up in her own happy thoughts.

The plane landed at just past ten in the morning, local time, and we walked across the tarmac to the customs area. The airport was tiny and hot, with no air conditioning to quell the stifling humidity. And it was crowded. Only three people were checking passports, and the line inched along. I was glad I'd worn a light linen shirt, but even that was soaked by the time we got to the window.

The guard just stamped our passports, looked through the paperwork we'd filled out, and shooed us out to the resort bus waiting for us at the curb.

"Whatever you do, don't sit up front," a strange guy in a loud shirt and Bermuda shorts mumbled to me as he passed. I turned to ask him what he meant, but he was already gone. Perhaps personal hygiene was an issue on the crowded bus.

As luck would have it, there were only two seats left as we clambered on, one right behind the driver, and the other across the aisle and slightly forward, just behind where a passenger seat would be. Bella left that one for me. At least I didn't have to smell the guy, and he was nice enough to pass out Red Stripe to anyone that wanted one.

His odor wasn't the problem. I think I would have preferred it to be the case. I would have even stuck my nose in the guy's armpit, rather than watch him drive. Holy Mother of God. He weaved in and out of traffic like we were on a motorcycle instead of a tour bus, and he chattered endlessly while not watching the road. Three cars honked at him as we passed, because he almost ran them off the road.

We stopped at a roadside convenience store, and I bolted. The chances of me getting sick were enormous, and I didn't want to have to add the scent of vomit to the already horrendous trip. Bella grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the store and handed me one gingerly.

"You okay?" she asked with concern, her pale skin shining in the bright sunlight.

"Dear God, that man is a maniac!" I cried. "Did you see the way he ran everyone off the road?"

Bella laughed. "I didn't notice. I was too busy talking to Tori and Phil." Of course Bella had already made new friends not an hour into our vacation.

"He's a fucking menace," I muttered.

"He's high as a kite," Bella laughed good-naturedly. "He's smoking ganja with some people on the bus behind that building."

I groaned and dropped my head in my hands. Just what we needed. I finally got Bella away from the crazy stalker that wanted to hurt her, only to have us done in by our pot smoking bus driver.

"He'll be fine," Bella reassured me. "I'm guessing he does this a lot."

I groaned again, and then had to laugh at my wife. She was just so damn cute standing there grinning at me and trying to be optimistic that we wouldn't get killed on the way to the hotel.

If it was possible, the man's driving skills got worse. I'd never been so thankful to see a hotel in my life as I was when we pulled up outside Breezes. The porters unloaded all of our luggage, and all I had to do was breathe through my nausea and check us in.

The place was gorgeous. The lobby opened out into the courtyard and provided us with a spectacular view of the palm trees and the pool. Behind it all, I could see the ocean crashing onto the shore. It was all light colors and openness, peacefulness, and tranquility. Without a doubt, it would be the perfect respite for us after the turmoil we'd faced.

The porter deposited our bags in our room, and we used a few minutes to take stock of it. The bathroom was small, but functional, and the king sized bed generously proportioned. A couch sat along the half wall near the bathroom, and two bright red chairs peeked through the door from the balcony. As soon as Bella opened the doors, a salty, cool sea breeze blew through the room. She glanced down at the pool, where other guests were lounging in the sun, and out to the beach, where people played in the shallow water.

We grabbed a quick lunch at the pool side buffet and played around in the water for several hours. We showered and dressed up a bit for dinner, at my request, and went to the Japanese restaurant on site to eat. I kept trying to find the perfect moment, but every time I tried we were interrupted. So, once finished, we strolled around the property.

The moonlight reflecting off the ocean gave me the perfect backdrop, and I sank to one knee while Bella wasn't looking. When she realized I was no longer with her, she stopped and whirled around, her skirt billowing out in the slight breeze.

"Edward, what are you doing?" she asked with a smile in her voice.

"I'm proposing, so let me do it right," I teased.

She gasped and held her small hand to her lips.

"This year, you've given me more than I could have ever thought possible. I love you and want to show you the depth of my commitment. Three years ago, we took our vows without knowledge of what they would mean. Now, this week, I'd like to renew them in truth. Bella, will you marry me? Again?"

A strange sound that sounded suspiciously like "Meep" came from Bella's mouth as she flew the few steps toward me and tackled me into the sand. Her lips pressed into mine urgently, and I returned her fervor with my own.

Minutes passed, and though I thought I knew her answer, I pulled back and searched her eyes, waiting for her words.

"Well?" I finally asked quietly.

"Yes! A thousand times yes. Can we do it here? What about our families? I'll need to get a dress and see someone about—"

I cut her off with a quick kiss. "Yes, we can do it here, and they will take care of everything. All you have to do this time is show up in the white dress Alice packed for you."

She laughed. "That's all I did last time!"

My voice turned serious to answer the rest of her question. "As for our families . . . this is for us. Renewing our love and commitment to each other. I don't care if another soul sees it or not, I want to stand before a priest and announce before God that I love you and vow to do so for the rest of my life."

"I love you," she whispered thickly, and I could see the trails of the tears on her cheeks glittering in the wan light.

And there we sat in the sand as the waves lapped at the shore, content with each other and really relaxed for the first time. It was almost everything I'd imagined our honeymoon would be. Minus the sex in the sand, of course, because, sitting here, with the sand encroaching through my sandals and into my pants, I thought of all the other places sand could get, and I wasn't so eager any more.

Bella yawned, and I stood, helping her up with my hand. In the morning, I would talk to the concierge. Tonight, I was making love to my wife and passing out.

Sadly, we never made it to making love and went straight for the passing out. The trial and the traveling had taken their toll, and though it was only nine o'clock, Bella and I both fell fast asleep as soon as we crawled between the cool sheets.

TaM

Mornings in Jamaica came early, as we learned when the sun lit the room before eight o'clock the next morning. I felt refreshed, though. We donned our suits and cover ups and went down to the breakfast buffet for an amazing spread of everything we could possibly want and a few things we didn't recognize.

The resort staff was all too willing to accommodate our request to renew our vows, and we were able to schedule it on the fifth, our actual anniversary. Bella scheduled spa appointments for us on the day before.

"Wait!" she called to the concierge as he started to walk away. "I'd like to go to a local market or jewelry store tomorrow. Can that be arranged?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Most of the local merchants sell more . . . touristy fares. Jamaica is mostly known for its bead and woodwork," he answered delicately. "We do have a jeweler on site, if you are looking for something more . . . special?"

"Okay. I'd still like to go to the market, but we'll stop by there," she agreed.

"What was that about?" I asked as we walked to the pool.

She shrugged and laid her towel out on the chaise, before skipping to the pool side bar and ordering a margarita. "New rings?" Bella said off-handedly as her lips closed sensually around the straw.

Shit. The board shorts didn't hide much, and that image brought back others of her on her knees over me. I shed my shirt and jumped in the cool water so that I didn't embarrass myself. I, apparently, hadn't hidden my reaction well from Bella, because she sat on her chair, laughing at me.

"'S not funny," I mumbled, trying and failing to stifle a laugh. "Get me a beer, please?"

She did bring me a beer and jumped in the water to hand it to me, brushing against my body purposefully. The little touches went back and forth all day and insured that I remained ready and willing.

We went back to the room just before lunch, because I couldn't keep my hands to myself anymore, and Bella claimed she wanted to take a nap. She was just flaunting her hot little body out there in the sun, and I ached to touch it. We'd barely made it in the room, before I ripped the bikini top off and laved her nipples with my tongue. There was a slight sheen of sweat on them from our morning in the sun, and it spurred me on.

Bella moaned and clutched my wet hair in her fists, urging me on. So, I dropped to my knees, pulled on the strings at her sides, and watched her bikini bottoms flutter to the floor. Her pussy was right there in front of my face, and I couldn't resist burying my face between her thighs. I licked and sucked at her clit, while I held her up because her legs started shaking.

"Please, Edward," she moaned. "I want you inside me."

I was thoroughly enjoying myself, but there was no way I was passing up that opportunity. I stood quickly and swept her into my arms, only to move a few feet and lay her on the bed. I covered my body with hers and thrust into her with no more preamble. With the help of the alcohol we'd been consuming all morning, our frantic love-making lasted a bit longer than usual and was less inhibited. Bella cried out over and over again as she came around me. When the last one pulled mine from me, I collapsed on top of her, panting.

"About that nap," she muttered, her eyes fluttering closed.

I laughed weakly and pulled her into my arms. It didn't take long for us to fall asleep.

The lunch buffet was still open, thankfully, when we woke and went back downstairs. Tori and Phil were just eating, and we joined them. As nice as it was to be away from our family for awhile and to be here, just the two of us, it was more fun to have friends to enjoy the week with.

Later, floating in the pool while Bella sunbathed, I contemplated this and how much more fun it would be to have Emmett and Jasper here.

"What're you thinking so hard about, mister? We're on vacation!" Bella teased as she popped up in the water next to my raft.

"Friends," I answered vaguely. I didn't want Bella to think that I didn't cherish my alone time with her.

She rocked the float and knocked me into the water. In payback, I grabbed her ankles and pulled her under. We when both came back up, caught our breath and cooled our laughter, Bella snuggled into my arms as we hovered in the pool.

"It would be fun if they were here," she said quietly, and glanced up at me to see my reaction.

I nodded. "It would. Is that something you would like to do at some point?" I asked cautiously.

Bella watched my face carefully. "As in, as much fun as we're having here alone, should we call them and tell them to get their asses down here so they can have fun with us and see us get remarried in less than a week?"

She'd put some thought into this.

"Maybe call Angela and Ben, too?" I suggested, and her eyes lit up.

"But no parents," she qualified, propelling us toward the ladder.

I stalled us and looked at her seriously. "You're sure this is what you want? I'm having a blast just relaxing with you."

"We can still 'nap' whenever we want, right?" she asked with a grin.

"Hell yes, we can. It's still our honeymoon!"

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go call them!"

And that was how it ended up that two days later, Bella got to watch Emmett get thrown into the pool, fully clothed.

"So, Mom and Dad really didn't mind not being included?" I asked after they returned in their swim suits and Emmett cannonballed into the deep end of the pool.

"Not at all," Rose replied as she sipped on her Sex on the Beach.

"They said something about enjoying the whole house, since we weren't there to interrupt," Jasper said with a shudder.

I downed the last of my Rum and Coke. "And that thought calls for more liquor," I concluded.

Instead, Emmett decided that it was time for payback and shoved me into the pool. Jasper, Phil, and Ben got in on the roughhousing, and we played until dinner.

A dinner that Bella and I were late for, not that anyone was keeping to a strict schedule. She wanted to shower off before we went, and seeing her naked in the bathroom, with her vivid tan lines criss-crossing her body, undid me. I crept into the shower with her and traced them, first with my fingers, and then with my tongue. I sucked on her nipples while my fingers readied her for me—not that she needed much stimulation. Alcohol made Bella very horny. In the end, she turned around and braced herself against the shower wall as I took her from behind. It was so deep and so tight that way that not even eight glasses of rum could hold off my explosion.

TaM

Bella disappeared with the girls for a little while the next day, and I got cornered by Emmett and Jasper. Ben was trying to act like he had no idea what was going on, but still listening intently.

"You need to get her another ring," Emmett announced as he flopped down on the chair next to me.

Jasper nodded. "One that symbolizes your renewed commitment."

I couldn't hold in my snort. "Okay, Dr. Phil, what the hell was that?"

"What?" He shrugged. "You're getting remarried, or whatever," he added at my attempted protest. "You need to show the girl that your marriage has changed."

I snickered. "So, I _should_ give her the ring that's upstairs in my suitcase?"

Ben coughed, and the orange drink he was sipping on shot all over the deck. Jasper and Emmett stared at me like I'd grown a new head.

"What?" I asked. "Did you really think I hadn't thought of that before we came?" Judging by the looks on their faces, they hadn't.

"Whatever," I muttered. "I'm not a complete fuck-up. Anymore."

All three men laughed uproariously, and we jumped in the water for a game of pool basketball. When the girls got back from wherever they'd been, the day was waning. Bella just sat on the edge of the pool and dipped her feet in, while we all talked. When we got out and hit the buffet for dinner, she followed quietly, her mind somewhere else all together.

It wasn't until after we'd listened to the Reggae Band, played six games of pool, and retired to our room that she finally perked up.

"You okay?" I asked, sidling up behind her and wrapping her in my arms.

"Yeah, just got to think a lot today, and I missed you," she answered.

"Well, then let's not do that again," I said with a smile.

I spun her around and kissed her with all the love I could express. For the first time in a long time, our kisses didn't culminate in sex. I showered her with as much attention as I could to show her that she was loved and cherished, and it seemed to improve her mood. I wasn't sure what had bothered her so much today, but I figured she would tell me eventually if she wanted to.

**BPOV**

I knew Edward loved me. He'd shown me time and time again, and I could see it when he looked at me. But there were times when the crises of the past year came to mind, and today was one of those days. Ever since Edward had asked me to marry him again, I'd wanted to find him a new wedding band. The on-resort jeweler had quite a selection, and Rose, Alice, and Tori were all too eager to help me look.

I had no trouble finding the perfect one. It was a simple platinum and white gold band, but it was masculine and would fit Edward's style perfectly. In short, I could see this ring on his left hand for the rest of our lives.

My problem started when the girls decided that I should pick out a new ring, too.

"Come on, Bella," Rose cajoled. "I've already got Emmett working him on the idea. You need something fresh, new . . . unspoiled."

Fantastic. Now, the reason that we were renewing our vows in the first place came rushing back.

"Ooh! Bella, you have to try this one on!" Tori called from across the store enthusiastically. The ring she was pointing to was way past excessive, but I tried it on, just for fun. In fact, I tried on every damn ring in the store for fun, because I didn't fall in love with any of them. There was a single flawless carat with a band of smaller stones around it that I liked, but it really was too much for my small hand.

Worst of all, that pesky little romantic inside my head wanted Edward to be the one to pick me out a beautiful ring to wear. And she was snarky enough to insist that after everything he'd put me through, it was the least he could do.

My wonderful husband didn't push, though. He knew I was a little lost in my head, and he gave me the space I needed, while still showing me how much he loved me. Late that night, laying with my head against his firm chest while it rose and fell with his sleepy breaths, I realized that a new ring for me really didn't matter. This was what mattered. He was with me in a tropical paradise and proving to me with his actions that I was the only woman in the world for him and that he would do anything for me. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

The next day, we finalized our plans with the coordinator, and I spent an hour listening to the waves rock against the shore while Hilda massaged all of my tension away. I was sure that Rose was pestering Edward, but I couldn't find it in me to care.

He didn't look too perturbed when I returned to the pool and held his arms open for me to swim into. Then, he dunked me. I watched as the rest of the group played Rumology and lost, at least since I thought the point of the game was to stay upright. I giggled from my perch with my Banana Daquiri as they made complete fools of themselves.

There was no rehearsal dinner that night, as there had been three years earlier, mostly because Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice were all sleeping off the copious amount of alcohol they'd consumed. Instead, Edward and I ate a quiet dinner at Martino's together, reliving the moments surrounding our actual wedding.

"I was so nervous," he told me over dessert as we shared memories about our rehearsal dinner. "There you were, looking incredibly gorgeous, and I had no idea what to say to you. Every time I tried to open my mouth, something idiotic came out of it!"

I laughed. "And I thought you were so sweet and handsome. You asked me about me and what I wanted, which wasn't our wedding at all, and made me feel at ease about the whole process for the first time. I could actually see spending the rest of my life with you."

"Can I ask you something?" he asked with a new seriousness.

I nodded, instantly concerned.

"What did you think when I left the room on our wedding night? Honestly."

My mind cast back to that night, the memories colored with a different perception now that I had more information. "At first, I was confused, but when I realized you didn't mean to come back, I was hurt and a little relieved," I admitted.

"Relieved?" he asked in surprise.

"Well, yeah! There you were, this gorgeous older guy who no doubt knew what he was doing, and then there was me, who hadn't even seen a naked man. Um, yeah, that would have been so embarrassing." I giggled, thinking about my reaction the first time I had seen him naked.

His brow furrowed. "Wait, who was the first naked man you ever saw?"

I laughed again. "Real man, or first man?"

"There's a difference?" he asked incredulously.

"Rose and Alice have extensive porn collections, Edward, and they made me watch them so I would know what I was doing. So some guy on a porn flick, I'd have to say was the first."

"And the first real one?" he asked warily, as if he didn't want to know the answer.

I fiddled with my napkin and stared at my lap. "You."

A low growl emanated from across the table, and Edward's napkin hit the table.

"Let's go," he said in a strained voice.

"What?" I cried, not knowing what I'd done to upset him.

"Let's go," he repeated, and took my arm in his, leading me away from the restaurant and our nice evening. Then, so low only I could hear, he whispered, "I don't care if we're supposed to be waiting until after our wedding tomorrow, I cannot wait another second to be inside of you."

I shivered, and hurried my pace, eager to get to whatever ideas were running through his mind. We only made it as far as one of the secluded alcoves where a hot tub was hidden, before he yanked me around and hungrily pressed his mouth to mine. Back and forth our tongues battled, and our hands roamed freely. The hard planes of his chest underneath my fingertips excited me beyond measure, but not as much as the hard manhood that was pressed into my stomach. Knowing that I had made him that way spurred me on more, and I pulled him closer.

He hiked my dress up and slipped his hands underneath to cup my butt, lifting me slightly. His fingers toyed with the edge of my panties, and I felt them shift to the side, just as I heard laughter coming around the bend. We both froze. Our lips stayed connected, and Edward's lips were twitching into a smile as he lowered me to the ground.

"We should probably find our room," he whispered, fighting a laugh.

The other couple came into sight, and the guy muttered an "oops" as he looked at us and steered his companion in another direction. Edward and I both burst into laughter and ran hand-in-hand to our room.

The second the door closed, though, we were plunged headfirst back into our passion. I violently tugged his shirt from his khakis and ripped it off over his hand. Meanwhile, his hands were busy parting my zipper and urging my dress to the floor.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured between kisses, running his hands over my sides, skimming my breasts on the way down.

I think I said something, but I was too busy unfastening his belt to respond properly. To my utter delight, Edward wasn't actually wearing any underwear. He mumbled something about it being too damn hot for them. I just grasped his extremely hard erection and ran my hand over the tip.

Edward's hands left my now bare hips for a split second, and I watched as his pants fell to the floor.

"I need you. Now." His voice was almost calm and authoritative, but I could hear the urgency in his plea.

"Mmhmm," I managed to eke out, and hoped he understood what it meant.

We made it as far as the couch, because neither of us was willing to wait to situate ourselves in bed. As soon as the backs of my legs hit the armrest, Edward flipped me around and bent me over. His fingers spread me and rubbed over my clit, sending sparks shooting through my body. I felt the absence of his touch only as long as it took him to line up at my entrance and thrust himself inside me in one stroke.

Both of his hands held my hips tightly as he pounded into me, and I thought my eyes were going to stay permanently rolled back into my head. His right hand snuck down from my hip and pressed tight circles on my clit. I jumped headlong into oblivion, screaming his name as I went.

Edward must have come with me, because he collapsed against my back, still chanting my name reverently.

"I love you, Bella. I love you so much," he whispered as he stood. He looped his arm underneath my chest and brought me with him, slipping out of me as we moved. Carefully, he walked me to the bathroom and had me sit on the toilet, while he warmed the water to clean us both up.

I was completely spent and reminded once again how much I loved this man.

TaM

I didn't love mornings. More specifically, I didn't love mornings that began with my sister-in-law disturbing my naked, peaceful slumber with my very handsome husband.

"Bella!" she shouted as she hit the door with more force. "Get up! We've been calling your room for the last twenty minutes."

Grumbling, I rolled out of bed, threw on a robe and stumbled over to the door, only marginally awake. Before she could pound again, I swung the door open and looked at her with half open eyes.

"Go away."

I tried to shut the door in her face, but she blocked me with her foot and just stared at me. Then, she giggled.

"Rough night?" she asked, suppressing a smile.

I glared some, hoping she would get the message. "Something like that. Now, go away."

"I can't. You're getting married again in three hours. I let you sleep until ten, but we really can't wait anymore," she told me.

This was the only reason that I hadn't wanted them to come. I didn't want it to be a big deal. I just wanted to put on my dress and walk down to the beach, where he would be waiting for me. "I don't need three hours to shower and get dressed. It'll take me like thirty minutes," I argued.

"Bitch, shut up," Rosalie said as she sauntered down the hall. "If you really think we are going to let you look anything less than absolutely fabulous, think again. You're marrying him today because you want to, right?"

I looked at her blearily, willing her to get to the point.

Rose huffed. "Last time, you were beautiful, but the wedding really wasn't about the two of you. You didn't know each other at all. This time, _you_ are making the commitment by choice, to each other. It's a big deal."

So, now that I was awake, I could see her point. I did want to look my best for him. "All right, let me get my stuff."

I kissed Edward, who didn't even move, left him a note, and gathered my dress, underwear, and toiletries. Rose had kicked Emmett out of her room after breakfast, and we went in there to do our girly thing. Alice had thoughtfully brought me some fruit and pastries to munch on while they worked on my hair. It took forever, but the end result was stunning. Loose waves hung around my shoulders, the sides pinned back and a fresh blue flower was tucked into the pin holding my hair back. I fingered it delicately.

"It's beautiful," I stated.

Alice smiled. "It's a cornflower or bachelor button. The gardener guy gave it to us and told us it meant 'hope in love.'"

"It's also your something blue," Rose piped in.

Alice jumped up and retrieved a silvery necklace with a single teardrop diamond. "This will be your something borrowed. The dress is new. Shit. What about something old?"

I smiled and fingered the plain band on my finger. "My ring. It's old."

"Perfect." Alice smiled at me. "You look gorgeous, babe. And it's time to go. Edward's waiting."

Rose laughed. "Again."

They led me down to the secluded spot on the beach, where a few chairs were set up and Tori, Phil, Emmett, and Jasper were already waiting. Rose and Alice joined them. I took a few deep breaths and found Edward. He was my future and I was ready to embrace it wholeheartedly. Slowly, I made my way to the priest and to Edward.

Just like the first time we'd made these vows, his eyes were glued to mine. I could hear the sincerity in every word he spoke, and when he promised me his love for eternity, I knew he meant it—just like I meant every word I spoke in return.

When it came time for the ring portion, I motioned to Alice, and she handed the new band I'd purchased for Edward to the priest. There was another ring in his palm, but I didn't know which one it was. I put Edward's on first, and then he took my hand and slid the new ring on.

My breath caught in my throat. It was the most beautiful and most perfect ring I could have ever imagined; he had to have brought it with him, because this ring was not in the shop the other day. Three diamond solitaires winked in the sun, held in place by what appeared to be delicate platinum prongs. It was clear he'd thought about this in advance and it was a symbol to me of how precious I really was to him.

I tore my eyes away from it and stared into my husband's green ones. "Thank you," I whispered as I fought off tears.

"I love you," he answered simply.

"And I love you."

The priest chuckled and told him to kiss me already. So, he did, and we made a complete spectacle while our family and new friends cheered us on.

The resort did a great job with the simple reception we requested. There was a gazebo on the property, and they'd set it up with the champagne, flutes, and cake. Each member of our family felt the need to toast us—Emmett's was particularly funny and showcased the fact that he'd starting drinking hours before. It was Rose's, though, that touched me the deepest.

"It's been a long year for the two of you," she started. "Really, it's been a long three years. When Edward first told me that he was planning to marry a girl he'd never met, I thought he'd lost his mind. And when I met you, Bella, I was even more confused—mostly because I couldn't fathom why you would want to be tied to his sorry ass for the rest of your life. But I supported his decision, and I tried to be a friend to both of you. I'm sorry that I failed so miserably.

"Edward, you are the best big brother that a girl could have ever asked for, and I know I never tell you that. Bella, all I can say is that you are one of the most brilliant people I've ever met, in mind and spirit. Thank you. For giving my brother another chance and making him happier than I've ever seen him, and for forgiving me and letting me remain a part of your life, even when I didn't deserve to."

I jumped up and gave her a huge hug, while trying to blot away the tears. Uncharacteristically, she returned it warmly.

"Love you, Rose," Edward whispered as he gave her a hug of his own.

"Now, you guys go cool off, and we'll join you later," Edward announced, winking at me. For a moment, the lure of the cool blue water drew me in, and then I thought of naked Edward and decided it could wait a bit.

One by one, we thanked everyone for being there for us that day and walked hand in hand back to our room. Edward motioned me in ahead of him, and I heard the click of the lock as he followed.

"Have I told you how stunning you look today?" he asked as he rested his hands on my shoulders. "Even on our first wedding day, I don't think I've ever seen you look so beautiful." His hands gently ghosted over my shoulders and upper arms, and his lips caressed my neck.

"I couldn't wait to see you standing there," I confessed. "You looked so happy and so handsome."

He turned my head to face him, and his lips met mine in a slow, but very passion filled kiss. One hand deliberately unzipped my dress, and his hand slipped through the parted material, igniting goosebumps in its wake.

"I love you, Isabella Cullen," he said very seriously, gazing into my eyes so I could see the truth in them.

"I love you, Edward Cullen," I answered with a smile. I pulled away slightly and took off my dress, laying in on the couch. Then, I undid each button on his shirt and tossed it to the side. His linen pants followed, and soon, he stood in front of me, body and soul bared.

With my eyes on his, I lowered myself in front of him and took him into my mouth. For the first time, I was fully ready to show him that our life was ours, and that loving him in whatever way I chose was important to me.

"Oh, fuck, Bella. Baby, you don't . . ." He trailed off as I sucked harder, loving the feeling of him hot and hard in my mouth and knowing _I _had made him that way. I grazed him with my teeth, and he pulled me off my knees and back up to his mouth.

"I want to be inside of you when I come, Bella," he murmured and led me over to the bed. He hovered over me, supporting himself with his arms. Our eyes locked as he slid into me slowly. His pace stayed slow and loving, but we reached our peaks together. Edward rolled us so that I wouldn't have to bear his weight, and we held each other in bliss.

Long minutes passed while we regained our breath. I held my hand out in front of me and gazed at the diamonds that now adorned my finger.

"I was wrong, you know," I said.

"About?" Edward asked, turning to face me.

My eyes met his. "I once told you that you'd destroyed all my romantic dreams. I was wrong, so wrong. You _are_ my dreams—everything I could have ever wanted. Thank you for having the patience to prove me wrong. I love you so much."

His smile was blinding. "I love you, too, Bella. For the rest of our lives and beyond."

**That's it. This is the last regular chapter of TAM. There will be an epilogue—it's in the process—and probably a few outtakes along the way, but the main story has come to an end. I'll save the sappy thank yous for next week. **

**Some of you may be disappointed that the siblings "intruded" on their alone time. Don't be. Please. After having taken several of these vacations, I can tell you that as much as I love spending alone time with my spouse, we had infinitely more fun when we could share it with our friends. **


	33. Chapter 33: Epilogue

**The Arranged Marriage**

**Disclaimer: I own this. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. Nothing has changed on that since chapter one. **

**A/N: Because I know that you want to read this, I'm going to save the sappiness for my A/N at the end. Here, I'm just going to say thanks to Jenny Cullen and swimom7 for betaing. **

**Chapter 33: Epilogue**

**BPOV**

It had been a long day. I had a meeting on the status of my thesis first thing this morning, followed by several hours in the library, working on said thesis. At least my shift at New Horizons had been short today, with no extra sessions after group.

At almost nine months pregnant, my energy was waning fast, and I still had things to do once I got home. Like deal with Jack.

"Hello?" I called as I entered the kitchen and threw my keys on the counter. The house was suspiciously quiet, and I wondered if Edward had Jack up at the big house still. At three o'clock this morning, we'd woken up to Jack yelling for us as he threw up all over his new big boy bed.

"Mommeeee!" Jack barreled into my legs and almost knocked me backwards.

"Watch it, bud," Edward scolded with a smile. "Don't knock her over now."

I smiled at the two of them, and Edward kissed me softly. "Seems like someone's feeling better," I teased, knowing that he and Edward had probably been playing all day.

Edward rolled his eyes. "You say that like 'someone' ever acted like he felt bad. He was most unhappy that he couldn't play with Savannah all day."

Savannah Whitlock was born nine months after our trip to Jamaica. Alice and Jasper had, of course, been ecstatic when they found out she was pregnant, and I'd been thrilled to get to practice with a kid that wasn't mine, before I even considered having one of my own. She'd sparked baby fever, though, and when she was only six months old, we'd gotten to tell Esme and Carlisle that they were going to be grandparents again.

"What did my boys do today?" I asked, looking around the kitchen. There were dishes in the sink and smears of finger paint on the table.

Edward fidgeted a little. "We laid around and rested?" He tried to look innocent, but we both knew it was a lost cause and burst out laughing. I knew they'd been playing hard, and he knew it, too.

Tenderly, Edward laid his hand on my protruding stomach and swept a lock of my hair behind my ear. "How was your day? You feeling okay?"

I nodded. "I'm just tired. Dr. Martin likes where I'm going with the thesis, and with all I got done today, I should have it ready before the semester ends."

"Good. Why don't you go get changed and off your feet, and little man and I will make dinner?" he suggested.

I smiled and kissed both of them, before waddling upstairs. Edward had set out my yoga pants and one of his old t-shirts for me—my favorite evening outfit. I could smell ground beef browning when I walked back downstairs, and heard Jack giving Edward a hard time about what was and was not supposed to be in spaghetti.

"Jack!" I called. "Come in here and see me." Jack tore into the room and climbed eagerly onto the couch next to me. He no longer fit in my lap, but he loved to sit next to me and talk to the baby.

Edward poked his head around the corner and mouthed, "Thank you," before returning to the stove.

Jack proceeded to tell the baby all about race cars and how he was going to teach his little sister about baseball. Girls, he reasoned, needed to know these things to be interesting. Then, he told me about watching Daddy work and how he'd helped by coloring and making his numbers prettier.

"Really, Mom, he said that the red and yellow circles made them much better to look at," Jack insisted when I scolded him for coloring on his daddy's work.

Edward was a little quiet through dinner and Jack's bath. After reading two stories, we tucked him in and turned off the light. We both knew that he'd talk to his stuffed animals for at least thirty more minutes, but at least he was in there.

For five years, we'd held onto our nightly routine of talking before bed—only the location had changed. Now, we cuddled on our huge sleigh bed and reconnected each day. Tonight was no exception, and I was antsy to find out what was on Edward's mind.

"We got a call today up at the house," he started. "Tanya wants to come when the Spencers visit this weekend."

Tanya. I hadn't had occasion to think of her much over the last few years, but my thoughts instantly strayed to the letter we'd received just after Jack was born.

_Edward looked nervous as we sat in our bed. I cocked my head to the side as he retrieved the letter from the nightstand and handed it to me. The return address shone brightly off the stark white envelope. _

_T. Spencer_

_428 Idlewild Way_

_Boston, MA 02101_

_I stared, unable to move enough to take it from him. We hadn't heard from her since we'd left her on the courthouse steps four years before. News had reached us, of course, courtesy of Carmen and Eleazar, and we knew that she was putting her life back together. She'd never attempted to contact us, though. _

"_Open it," I whispered, fingering the edge of the envelope. _

_Edward watched my face closely, searching for any indecision, before he slid his finger through the flap and tore open the letter. Once unfurled, he held it out so we could read it together. _

_Dear Edward and Bella, _

_ I hope that after all this time, this letter finds you well. I ask about you often, and I was thrilled to learn of Jack's birth. Congratulations. _

_ This letter is long overdue, and I've been putting it off for too long. I owe both of you an apology, and I know that will never be enough to make up for my deplorable behavior. Even after years of therapy, I don't know what made me act the way I did. I could blame it on a lack of affection or guidance, but the truth is, the fault lies solely with me. _

_ Edward, I'm sorry. I should have been your friend first and never crossed that line. What I did to you was inexcusable. You needed support and encouragement, not someone that tried to tear you down. I took advantage of you when you were at your lowest, and brought you down even further. _

_ Bella, there are no words to express how sorry I am for how I treated you all these years. It was easier for me to deal with my own betrayal by treating you horribly and pretending that you were the enemy, than to recognize my own actions for what they were. From what I understand, you really are a wonderful woman and the perfect mate for Edward._

_ I'll be coming into town soon, and though I have no right to ask, I would love to come by to see you and meet your son. I promise not to hold it against you if you don't want me to; I haven't earned the right to be part of your lives. I wish you both the best and hope to see you soon. _

_Sincerely, _

_Tanya_

That night, we'd talked about the level of interaction we wanted to have with her, and neither of us was ready to bring her back into our lives. The hurt was still too raw. Instead, we'd responded by letter, thanking her for her apologies and letting her know that while we might be able to be social with her one day, we weren't there yet. We wished her well and put her out of our minds.

As for this visit, I had no idea how to react. The truth was that I honestly felt like I'd won, and while I wished that we'd never had to go through it, I'd often wondered if maybe we wouldn't have ended up as solid as we were now if we hadn't. In some ways, she'd done us a favor and helped us to cut through the crap.

A sharp kick to my side brought me back to the present, and I covered the area where our daughter was kicking with my hand. Edward gave me a small smile and covered my hand with his.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "I don't know. We have our own place, so it if gets uncomfortable, we can just leave, but I don't want you to be upset or stressed out."

"Maybe if she comes, we'll go up to the house, say hello, and see how it goes," I suggested. It was too hard to carry a grudge for so long, and I'd already won. I had the most wonderful husband and the most beautiful son in the world.

And she had no one.

"If you want to," Edward said noncommittally.

The baby kicked again, and then stilled, as my stomach tightened uncomfortably. I shifted and grunted against the pressure, but wasn't able to relax until my muscles did the same.

"Is that the first one?" Edward asked in concern.

I shook my head. "No, it's been happening on and off all day. Nothing regular," I assured him.

But my body had other ideas, and three minutes later, another contraction hit. Over and over, they hit, each time coming a little faster and a little harder. After an hour, Edward called his mom to come sit with Jack, and we headed off to the hospital.

I was at thirty-eight weeks, so they admitted me and let my labor progress. Edward made sure the anesthesiologist didn't leave me in pain, and he constantly mopped my brow with a cool cloth.

"You're doing great, baby," Edward murmured as I tensed through the pressure of the epidural-dulled contraction. He eyed the nurse as she checked me, and she seemed to confirm his suspicions.

"They're getting a lot harder," he said, and she nodded.

"The doctor will be right in. It's time." She hurried out of the room, and then a flurry of people bustled back in to set up the bed and prep me for delivery. It felt a little strange to have so many people staring at my spread legs, but both the baby and I needed our own teams of doctors and nurses. Edward never let go of my hand and never stopped encouraging me.

Madeleine Elizabeth Cullen was born at six-oh-three in the morning.

"Oh, Bella," Edward whispered as he looked over to where they were cleaning her up and weighing her. "She's absolutely beautiful, just like her mama."

The nurse chose that moment to lay her in my arms, and I had to agree with him. Our daughter was perfect.

They let us sit together for a few minutes, just watching the newest addition to our family and holding each other, but by seven, they were ready to move me to a regular room so that our visitors could finally see us.

Esme and Carlisle were still with Jack and had promised to bring him by as soon as he got up, but Alice, Rose, and Emmett were waiting eagerly for us.

I laughed at the laundry baskets full of pink baby stuff as they piled into our single room. Since Maddie was our second child, we hadn't had another baby shower, and they seemed intent to make up for it. They also seemed intent to hold her and never let her go.

Sometime around eight, I drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the turmoil I'd put my body through all night. When I woke again, the room was quiet, but I wasn't alone in my bed. Jack's coppery locks were nestled into my shoulder, and Edward sat on my other side, holding Maddie over my stomach.

"Will she get bigger, Daddy?" he whispered, trying to stay quiet so as to not wake me.

I could hear the smile in Edward's voice. "Yes, Jack, she'll get bigger, but she'll always need her big brother to protect her. You were this little once," he mused.

"Nuh-uh," Jack protested in awe.

I opened my eyes to see Edward nodding and Jack running a hand reverently over her face.

"I was this little?" Jack asked.

"You were," I answered, letting my boys know I was awake.

Jack snuggled into me, his version of a bed-hug, and I kissed the top of his head.

"What do you think, Jackie?" I asked him, nodding towards his sister.

He shrugged one shoulder. "Eh, she's pretty, but she doesn't do much."

I laughed.

"And she won't for a while," Carlisle said from the doorway, an expression of admiration covering his features. He came in and hugged Edward, and then kissed my forehead.

Carlisle and Edward's relationship had steadily improved over the years, but it wasn't until Jack was born that the most progress was made. My labor had been hard, and I'd bled more than normal. Edward was terrified that he was going to lose me and have to raise Jack by himself. So, he turned to his dad, and a new understanding was born. Since then, Carlisle had been the most supportive father and grandfather I could have wished for.

Esme came in and took Maddie from Edward, cuddling her instantly. After the requisite, "she's beautifuls," and "you did good, Mamas," our conversation focused on more normal things.

After an hour or so, they stood to leave so we could rest some more. Actually, I suspected it was because they were taking Maddie to her pediatric check-up, but they promised to visit later, and I was too tired to fight them.

Edward hugged Jack fiercely. "We'll be home tomorrow, buddy. Can you be good for Grandma and Grandpa until then?"

Jack nodded and skipped over to hold Esme's hand. I suspected that he was far more excited about that visit than he was us coming home.

No sooner were they out the door, then Edward was crawling into bed with me at my insistence. Surrounded in his arms, I fell fast asleep.

That two hour nap was all I got for the rest of the day. A slight banging woke us sometime later, and Mom looked up sheepishly from where she had banged into my tray table. And while _she_ was captivated by Maddie, she had nothing on my father. He was beside himself with joy.

"She looks just like you," he whispered, and I could hear the thick emotion in his voice. Carefully, he rocked her back and forth and hummed a tune that sounded vaguely familiar. He refused to relinquish her, until my mother insisted that they go get us something to eat for lunch. One look at my hospital issued food tray had her scrambling to get me some real sustenance.

Since we would be alone for a little while, Edward suggested that we send Maddie down to the nursery and get cleaned up. Seeing as how I hadn't done so since I gave birth, I was more than willing to entertain his idea. I didn't want Maddie alone, though.

Uncle Jasper solved that for us. When he heard our dilemma, he declared that Maddie needed to be given a tour of the maternity ward and that he would take her. The look in his eyes as he held her was so reminiscent of how he was with Savannah that any lingering doubts I might have had fled.

As they left the room, I heard him muttering what sounded suspiciously like, "Your daddy and I are going to have to learn to shoot better to keep those nasty boys away from you," in a sing-song voice. One glance over at Edward told me he had heard it, too, and he was doing all he could to keep the laughter in.

So much had changed in the last five years. Back then, I could never have imagined sitting in a hospital shower and letting Edward wash the blood and dirt from my body, especially in its current less than perfect condition. But today, he tenderly washed my hair and ran the washcloth all over me, carefully maneuvering around the parts that were swollen and sore, even though those were his favorites.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured as he rinsed my hair, somehow sensing what I needed to hear most.

I scoffed anyway, not feeling particularly beautiful, with my stomach hanging in folds and my breasts swollen beyond recognition. "Yeah, right. Look at me." Tears burned in my eyes, and my hormonal brain wondered if he would ever find me appealing again.

Edward stepped into the shower with me and knelt in front of me. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he said sincerely, tipping my head so that I would look at him.

"This stomach,"—he caressed the stretched skin—"carried my children. These breasts, though they look really uncomfortable right now, nourish them. I love the way your body fits into my hands and the way you look and feel when we're together."

My eyes drifted down as I blinked back the tears and caught a glimpse of my husband straining against the wet fabric of his underwear. Clearly, his body found something in here attractive, and right now, I was the only option.

He wasn't done reassuring me, though. "I love _you_, Bella. Inside and out. Please don't ever doubt that."

I sniffled, and the tears fell. I felt so overwhelmed and loved in that moment. I fell forward into his arms; he just held me and shushed me, offering me whatever comfort I could take from him. Finally purged, I sat back up and kissed him as hard as I could, letting him know that I still loved and wanted him, even if we couldn't do anything about it.

It wasn't much longer before the already lukewarm water ran cold, and we got out. Edward dried me off and helped me into a pair of yoga pants and a long sleeve T-shirt. He threw on his own clothes, and then helped me out to the bed, where he brushed my hair out.

We weren't a moment too soon in coming back. Jasper reentered the room, with a very fussy Madeleine. Edward had once told me that he could watch me feed Jack all day, but he took Jasper out to get a cup of coffee while I nursed.

When they returned, they weren't alone.

I had wondered when Carmen and Eleazar would show up. They were coming up to visit for the weekend anyway, and I could only imagine the news that I had given birth would hurry them along. They had become like a surrogate set of grandparents to both Savannah and Jack over the years, doting on them almost as much as Esme and Carlisle did. After the trial, they'd made a huge effort to repair their relationship with us, and today, I was glad to see them.

Edward's jaw was set and his eyes were cautious, as he crossed the room and sat next to me, throwing his arm around my waist and pulling me close. When he looked at me, his eyes were tender, but worried. I gave him a small smile, and then glanced up to see what had him so concerned.

Tanya had come with them.

She stood in the door, looking around the room nervously. Her eyes only met mine once, and when they did, they quickly averted to her shoes. Her parents had abandoned her and were busy cooing over our daughter, while Edward sat tensely next to me. I wasn't sure what had him more uptight—my reaction, or his own.

I took a deep breath, drew on the small reserve of strength I had, and called over to her. "You can come in if you'd like, Tanya."

Her eyes shot up and met mine questioningly, as if she hadn't expected to be welcomed in and was only here because her parents dragged her along. On second thought, perhaps that was exactly what had happened. She stepped in quietly and practically tip-toed over to where her mother was cuddling Maddie.

"She's so beautiful," Tanya murmured as she gazed longingly at my daughter. Carmen looked for a moment like she was about to ask if Tanya wanted to hold her, but glanced at me and held my newborn baby even tighter.

"I tell you what, you two, she looks nothing like Jack did. In fact, I think she's the spitting image of her mother," Eleazar announced with a teasing grin.

"Good thing, right?" Edward laughed.

Tanya glanced our way. "So, does Jack look like Edward, then?" she asked.

My brows furrowed, and I cocked my head to the side. I knew for a fact that the Spencers had pictures of Savannah and Jack all over the place, and I wondered who she thought those kids were.

"He looks exactly like Edward at that age," Carmen answered with a smile. "What does he think of his new sister?"

I smiled at her. "He adores her. He spent the morning telling us about all the things he needed to teach her to do, but that he'd have to wait until she was bigger. But she's not allowed to have a puppy if he can't have one."

Carmen and Eleazar joined Edward and me in our laughter. They had been present on more than one occasion when Jack tried to convince us that we needed a big dog.

"No, she can't have one. I'm getting one first," Jack declared at the doorway, before running over and jumping on the bed with me. His little arms stretched around my neck, and all my tension melted away. He was the best hugger in the world.

Tanya gaped at Jack, and the Cullens all gaped at Tanya. Savannah looked at all of them like they were crazy and plowed past them.

"I wanna see her," she announced. True to her own style, she was wearing a tiara over her blond ringlets, a pink leotard and tu-tu, and blue jeans, along with the Chuck Taylors I got her for her birthday. "Oh, and I'm sposed to give this to you." She threw a gift bag at me and made a bee-line for Carmen and the baby.

I turned to Edward and tried to suppress a laugh. She was so much like Alice, it was scary. He gave Jasper an "It's all you" look, and Jasper just shook his head and shrugged.

"She'll find someone to take it one day just like her mother did," he said with a smile. "But God help him."

That finally broke the tension in the room, and the rest of the family crowded around. My parents arrived with our lunches a few minutes later, and other than a few awkward glares from Mom, no one acknowledged the discomfort caused by Tanya's presence.

Jack fell asleep against my shoulder in the early afternoon, unable to keep his eyes open any longer, and Esme and Carlisle took that as their cue to leave. He was so tired that he didn't even wake when Carlisle lifted him off my body or when Edward and I kissed him goodbye.

Tanya, Rose, and Emmett were discussing something, and Alice and Jasper were sitting on the in-room couch with Savannah; she was holding Maddie and repeatedly telling her parents that she wanted "one of these."

"How are _you_ feeling, Mama?" Carmen asked quietly as she and Eleazar stepped close.

I smiled. "I'm tired, but I don't suppose that's going to change anytime soon."

"I hope you don't mind that she's here. We were on our way when Esme called, and I didn't know what else to do," Eleazar confessed. "I thought she'd take the car and go somewhere, but she wanted to come up."

Edward glanced at me, before turning back to face them. "It's fine. It had to happen sometime, right?"

Carmen scoffed. "No, it didn't. Not if you didn't want it to. I've done my damndest to keep her out of your lives, even when she begged to come with us, and that's what I'll do if that's what you want."

My earlier curiosity resurfaced. "Carmen, how did she not know what Jack looks like? His pictures are all over your house."

She smiled smugly at me. "I take them down. She's done nothing to deserve to see into your life unless you request it. As you haven't, I didn't see it as my place to let her see him."

I laughed. She was so protective and mother bear-ish, even when it came to her own daughter. I had no doubt that Carmen would shove her out the door now if we asked.

"You can leave them up," Edward said with a laugh.

Carmen gave him a doubtful look, but nodded in acquiescence. "We're going to go, darlings," she told us. "You need your rest, and that baby's going to be hungry soon."

"Will you be at the house tomorrow?" I asked, genuinely hopeful that they would be.

Eleazar smile. "Of course. We'll be there when you get home."

Edward and I kissed them both goodbye and watched as Carmen informed their daughter that it was time to go. Tanya looked longingly at Maddie, but swallowed heavily and walked toward us instead.

"Thank you," she practically whispered. "For letting me be here and see them. Jack and Maddie are adorable."

I couldn't rein in the smile, because it was true and I was their mother. "Thank you," I told her genuinely.

"And well, if you ever need anything, diapers, a babysitter . . . anything, let me know. I'll be happy to help," she offered.

We would never take her up on that offer, and all three of us knew it when the words came out of her mouth. Too much damage had been done for Edward and me to entrust our precious children to her care, but we thanked her regardless and promised we would let her know.

She joined her parents by the door and disappeared from sight. I didn't know if she would be at the house the next day, but I did know that something had changed in me. There was only so much room in my heart, even with it swelling to accommodate my babies, and there was no longer any space for the ill will I bore her.

And as I stared at my daughter, surrounded by our very loving family, I realized that there was nothing to be gained by harboring that grudge any longer. I _had_ won—not against her, but in my life. I had the most wonderful, loving, and supportive husband a woman could ask for and the most perfect children on the planet.

Life was good.

**The End**

**As I hit the complete button tonight, I am struck by the enormity of this. For the last seven months, this story, and you as my readers, have been a constant in my life. Tonight, I hit the complete button and say goodbye . . . for now, at least. **

**I owe lots of thanks to you all. Thank you to my faithful readers—the ones that have been here since the beginning and those that found me yesterday. You make this worth it and your feedback has been priceless, making me a better writer every day. **

**Thank you to those that "flounced." Some of you let me know why you were leaving, and while it may have hurt, it made me a better writer and a thicker skinned person. Sometimes that's what we need in life. **

**Mollie—you were one of the first to believe in this story and thanks to your mega-pimpage, it took on a life of its own. Thank you for your faith in me and TAM. **

**Jenny Cullen and bonnysammy: you betaed this, without complaint and make it better each week. Thank you for your time and your guidance. **

**Swimom7—my ficwife and darling friend—the chocolate chips to my cookies. There are no words for how much I appreciate and love you. I can't wait for October. **

**And now, good night. Thank you for taking this ride with me and for supporting me, even when it was hard. I love you all. **


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